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: mate · mug · last · mine · track · rest · wound · mouse

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. track — a song
  3. rest — a break
  4. mug — to rob
  5. last — to go on
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mug — a face
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mug — a cup
  15. track — a path
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — final
  20. track — to keep track
  21. last — finally
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wound — an injury

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