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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. scale — in music
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. present — the time now
  7. root — of a word
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. toast — bread
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. scale — size or range
  20. present — a gift
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chest — a box
  23. present — there
  24. toast — the most admired

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