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: bat · row · tear · track · pit · wax · perch · club

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pit — a hole
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wax — to grow
  7. pit — in a race
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. track — a song
  10. tear — from crying
  11. club — a group
  12. bat — the animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. row — a line
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. club — for golf
  21. tear — to rip
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — to keep track

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