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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. chest — of your body
  3. spell — magic
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. roll — a cake
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. drill — army training
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. roll — a list
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. drill — a practice
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. dip — to sink
  21. toast — bread
  22. chest — a box
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mark — a trace

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