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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. swing — to play on
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. swing — music
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mark — a trace
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. file — a document
  14. toast — bread
  15. file — a tool
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bowl — a football final

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