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: coach · mouse · pass · can · pound · track · fall · race

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pass — a permit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. race — humankind
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. can — a tin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. track — a song
  23. pound — a weight
  24. race — a contest

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