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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. key — in music
  6. last — finally
  7. staff — employees
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wind — moving air
  12. staff — employees
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. key — for a lock
  17. lean — to bend
  18. toast — bread
  19. last — to go on
  20. prune — to trim
  21. key — the most important part
  22. wind — moving air
  23. staff — a stick
  24. last — final

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