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: staff · track · pop · land · tear · mate · content · fine

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pop — to visit
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a song
  6. pop — soda
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tear — from crying
  10. mate — a partner
  11. track — a path
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pop — music
  16. content — happy
  17. tear — to rip
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. mate — a friend
  22. staff — employees
  23. content — the amount
  24. land — to come down

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