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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. spell — a short time
  3. field — farmland
  4. bat — the animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. sharp — clever
  7. spell — magic
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. firm — a company
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. field — a subject
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. firm — decided
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. toast — bread
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. field — for sport
  23. sharp — exactly
  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