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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. toast — bread
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. swing — music
  16. field — a subject
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. swing — to play on
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. cap — a hat

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