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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. cue — a hint
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rash — hasty
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. toast — bread
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cue — for pool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. capital — money
  13. cue — a signal
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. capital — a city
  18. ball — a round shape

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