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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. land — a country
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rest — what's left
  5. land — to come down
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. land — ground
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. track — a path
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. track — a song
  17. toast — bread
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. trunk — of a tree
  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