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: deal · pop · wind · pit · spring · bear · court · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. court — of law
  4. pit — a hole
  5. court — of a king
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wind — moving air
  8. spring — of water
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. spring — the season
  12. bear — the animal
  13. track — to keep track
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pop — soda
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. deal — to handle
  20. court — for sport
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. pop — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bear — the animal

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