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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — a path
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. present — the time now
  12. track — a song
  13. present — there
  14. toast — bread
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bark — to shout
  23. date — the fruit
  24. present — a gift

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