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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a face
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. court — for sport
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. current — of water
  8. mug — a cup
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. court — of a king
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. current — happening now
  17. toast — bread
  18. foot — a measure
  19. current — electric
  20. court — of law
  21. craft — a skill
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. craft — boats

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