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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. craft — boats
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. last — finally
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. last — final
  12. club — for dancing
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — to go on
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. club — for golf
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. club — a group
  21. craft — a skill
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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