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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bear — the animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rest — a break
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chair — a leader
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. dip — to sink
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. toast — the most admired

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