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: game · track · content · hand · pass · face · foot · trunk

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. track — a song
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. hand — in cards
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. game — wild animals
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. content — happy
  16. track — a path
  17. hand — help
  18. game — a match
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. face — part of the head
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. content — the amount

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