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 116 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 · bore · drill · bulb · degree · straw · chip · fall

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fall — to drop
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chip — to eat
  11. degree — an amount
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bore — to tire
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fall — the season
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. straw — dry grass

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