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 116 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: mine · last · firm · file · leaves · track · bay · cue

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. firm — decided
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. last — to go on
  6. track — a path
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. file — a line of people
  9. firm — a company
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cue — a hint
  12. file — a document
  13. last — finally
  14. cue — for pool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. firm — steady
  18. cue — a signal
  19. file — a tool
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. track — a song
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. last — final

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