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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. snap — to click
  9. degree — an amount
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pound — a weight
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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