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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. field — farmland
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rash — hasty
  6. club — a group
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. toast — bread
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. root — the cause
  14. land — ground
  15. root — of a word
  16. land — a country
  17. club — for golf
  18. rash — a series
  19. field — for sport
  20. land — to come down
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ball — a great time
  24. field — a subject

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