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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. field — for sport
  3. toast — bread
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. fine — all right
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. field — farmland
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ball — a dance
  16. field — a subject
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. prune — to trim
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fine — high quality

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