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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. craft — a skill
  3. tube — a container
  4. craft — boats
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mine — for digging
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mark — a grade
  11. toast — bread
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. shower — to wash
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. shower — rain
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mark — a trace
  20. tube — the underground
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. vault — a safe

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