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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. mug — a face
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. race — the arms race
  10. toast — bread
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. court — for sport
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — a contest
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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