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: shower · track · jam · straw · charge · field · rash · bore

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. rash — a series
  3. track — a path
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. shower — to wash
  7. charge — a price
  8. field — for sport
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bore — to drill
  13. shower — rain
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — in control
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. field — farmland
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. field — a subject
  22. bore — to tire
  23. track — a song
  24. jam — a tight spot

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