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: bat · leaves · rule · pound · bark · wake · rush · track

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rule — government
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. track — a song
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rule — a law
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. track — a path
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. track — to keep track
  17. pound — a weight
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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