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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. club — for golf
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. squash — the sport
  6. game — wild animals
  7. squash — to crush
  8. tear — from crying
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. tear — from crying
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for dancing
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. tear — to rip
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. toast — bread
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — a match
  24. temple — a place of worship

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