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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bore — to tire
  4. toast — bread
  5. last — to go on
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. last — finally
  13. content — happy
  14. last — final
  15. bound — tied together
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. content — the amount
  18. bound — certain
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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