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: track · pound · last · dip · roll · can · key · wind

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. roll — a list
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wind — moving air
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. wind — moving air
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pound — a weight
  11. roll — a cake
  12. key — the most important part
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. key — in music
  18. can — a tin
  19. dip — to sink
  20. last — to go on
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. track — to keep track
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pound — to hit hard

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