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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. roll — a list
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rest — a break
  7. club — for golf
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. march — the month
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. roll — a cake
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. march — the month
  14. rest — what's left
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. club — a group
  18. march — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. toast — bread
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. club — for dancing
  24. foot — the bottom

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