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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. chest — a box
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stem — to come from
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cue — a signal
  24. date — the fruit

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