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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. swing — music
  3. toast — bread
  4. cap — a hat
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. swing — in golf
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mark — a grade
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. snap — to click
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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