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: tear · ball · mark · bowl · track · season · mug · nail

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. season — of the year
  5. mug — to rob
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. tear — from crying
  8. track — to keep track
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mug — a cup
  12. track — a song
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. track — a path
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mug — a face
  18. season — in sport
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tear — from crying
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — to rip
  24. nail — on a finger

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