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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. spring — the season
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mate — a partner
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. net — in sport
  7. stand — to bear
  8. net — for catching
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. net — after costs
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. toast — bread
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. spring — of water
  24. race — the arms race

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