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 120 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: leaves · swing · cell · bark · track · lie · pass · present

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lie — to recline
  3. track — a path
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. present — a gift
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. present — there
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cell — a phone
  14. swing — music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. swing — in golf
  17. present — the time now
  18. cell — in biology
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. swing — to play on

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