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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. spell — magic
  3. pop — music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wake — a trail
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. spell — letters
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pop — soda
  24. bore — gave birth

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