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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lean — to bend
  5. date — the fruit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lean — thin
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. toast — bread
  17. bass — low music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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