ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · wind · present · mouse · squash · wake · rock · track

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — to keep track
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rock — a stone
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. present — there
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. present — a gift
  12. track — a song
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. track — a path
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — the time now
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rock — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com