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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. net — in sport
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. band — a music group
  6. net — for catching
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mug — to rob
  12. band — a ring
  13. net — after costs
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mug — a face
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. arm — part of the body

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