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'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. tube — the underground
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. last — to go on
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. last — finally
  13. lie — to recline
  14. tube — a container
  15. toast — bread
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. last — final
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. mine — for digging
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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