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: stick · patient · track · stand · wind · kid · pop · mark

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pop — music
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. wind — moving air
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. track — a path
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pop — soda
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wind — moving air
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. track — a song
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. track — to keep track

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