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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. track — a path
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. last — finally
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. toast — bread
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ground — the earth
  12. last — final
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. key — for a lock
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. track — to keep track
  23. last — to go on
  24. track — a song

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