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: stand · row · cabinet · game · snap · track · mouse · pitcher

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. row — to paddle
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stand — to bear
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. track — a song
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. track — a path
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. snap — to click
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. row — a line
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. game — wild animals

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