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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. pop — to visit
  3. toast — bread
  4. rash — a series
  5. fork — in a road
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pop — music
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. rest — a break
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bass — the fish
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pop — soda
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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