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: ball · bound · spring · net · roll · pass · object · track

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. roll — a cake
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. roll — a list
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pass — a permit
  8. object — to protest
  9. net — in sport
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. track — a song
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bound — tied together
  16. net — for catching
  17. object — an aim
  18. bound — certain
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. spring — the season
  21. object — a thing
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. net — after costs
  24. spring — of water

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