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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. tube — the underground
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. kick — in football
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. hand — help
  17. tube — a container
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. hand — in cards
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. toast — the most admired

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