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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — a tin
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. saw — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. kid — child
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. can — to be able to
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. toast — bread
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stand — to bear
  20. chest — a box
  21. can — a tin
  22. kid — to tease
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stand — for spectators

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