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: track · cue · mug · bowl · land · lie · prune · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. land — ground
  3. mug — a face
  4. track — a song
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. cue — for pool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. land — to come down
  12. cue — a hint
  13. land — a country
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cue — a signal
  20. track — a path
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — a trail
  24. prune — the fruit

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