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 · rest · fine · date · pass · row · season · calf

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. row — a line
  4. track — to keep track
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. track — a song
  7. row — to paddle
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fine — all right
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. pass — a permit
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fine — high quality
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rest — a break
  24. season — of the year

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