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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. swing — to play on
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. file — a tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rush — hurry
  10. tube — the underground
  11. swing — music
  12. file — a document
  13. present — a gift
  14. file — a line of people
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. present — there
  17. tube — a container
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. swing — in golf
  20. present — the time now
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. roll — a list
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. roll — a cake

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