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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. foot — a measure
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. band — a ring
  9. charge — electricity
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. band — a music group
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. deal — to handle
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. toast — bread
  24. arm — a part of something

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