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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rash — a series
  4. chest — a box
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. degree — temperature
  8. rash — hasty
  9. toast — bread
  10. content — happy
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stand — to bear
  15. content — the amount
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. chest — of your body
  20. degree — an amount
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mate — to breed
  24. degree — from a university

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