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 · key · ruler · toast · rash · cold · swing · march

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. track — a path
  3. swing — music
  4. key — in music
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cold — not warm
  8. march — music
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. march — the month
  12. track — a song
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cold — an illness
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. key — the most important part
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. march — the month
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ruler — a monarch

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