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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. tube — a container
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bat — the animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. ball — a great time

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