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: key · saw · degree · bulb · date · wound · bank · track

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. date — the fruit
  5. degree — temperature
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — a song
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bank — for money
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. degree — an amount
  17. track — a path
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wound — an injury

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