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: net · mine · track · staff · scale · ground · mate · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. net — in sport
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ground — a position
  7. staff — employees
  8. scale — size or range
  9. staff — a stick
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. track — a song
  15. mate — a friend
  16. track — a path
  17. mark — a grade
  18. scale — in music
  19. net — after costs
  20. ground — the earth
  21. staff — employees
  22. net — for catching
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mine — an explosive

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