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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. toast — bread
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. club — a group
  7. mate — a partner
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. chest — a box
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chest — of your body
  15. club — for golf
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mate — to breed
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fork — in a road

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