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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cue — a signal
  6. toast — bread
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mark — a trace
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. mine — for digging
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — a hint
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lean — thin
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bowl — a football final

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