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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pitch — completely
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lean — thin
  5. toast — bread
  6. tear — from crying
  7. net — for catching
  8. swing — in golf
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. tear — from crying
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. plane — a tool
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. swing — music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. swing — to play on
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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