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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. suit — to fit
  3. land — a country
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rest — what's left
  8. saw — the tool
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — ground
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. season — in sport
  14. land — to come down
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. face — to point toward
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rest — a break
  22. season — of the year
  23. suit — in cards
  24. rest — what's left

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