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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. drill — army training
  6. chest — a box
  7. toast — bread
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. drill — a practice
  12. chest — of your body
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. chest — of your body
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bound — tied together
  20. plane — a tool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rash — a series
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. stock — shares

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