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: fork · rash · object · pop · straw · face · track · cell

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. object — a thing
  10. face — to point toward
  11. object — an aim
  12. track — a path
  13. pop — soda
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. track — to keep track
  16. object — to protest
  17. cell — in biology
  18. face — part of the head
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pop — music
  21. rash — a series
  22. face — to confront
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cell — a phone

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