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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. deal — to handle
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hand — help
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pitch — completely
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. arm — part of the body

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