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: pitch · wind · deal · bark · bound · object · track · rule

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. object — an aim
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bound — tied together
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. bound — certain
  14. object — to protest
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — a law
  20. pitch — completely
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. object — a thing

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