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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. degree — an amount
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. key — for a lock
  5. degree — from a university
  6. club — for dancing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — in music
  10. club — for golf
  11. current — electric
  12. ball — a dance
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — bread
  15. current — happening now
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. club — a group
  19. current — of water
  20. degree — temperature
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ball — a round shape

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