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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pit — a hole
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — in a race
  7. last — finally
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chest — a box
  12. last — to go on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. season — in sport
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — a grade
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. last — final
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a leader
  23. season — of the year
  24. chest — of your body

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