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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. staff — employees
  6. toast — bread
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. spell — magic
  10. staff — employees
  11. fine — all right
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. staff — a stick
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bat — the animal

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