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: row · current · kick · bat · track · pitcher · ball · last

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ball — a great time
  3. row — a line
  4. ball — a dance
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. track — a path
  8. row — to paddle
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. current — of water
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. track — a song
  17. last — to go on
  18. bat — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. kick — in football
  22. current — electric
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. current — happening now

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