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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. band — a music group
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. tube — the underground
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. season — of the year
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. march — music
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. tube — a container
  17. stand — to bear
  18. march — the month
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. season — in sport
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a ring

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