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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. chest — of your body
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bass — the fish
  12. spell — letters
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bass — low music
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chest — a box
  18. toast — bread
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. prune — to trim
  24. safe — out of danger

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