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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. hand — help
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fine — all right
  21. pit — in a race
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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