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. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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 — to come down
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rock — music
  6. suit — in cards
  7. suit — clothes
  8. land — ground
  9. court — for sport
  10. land — a country
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rock — a stone
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. roll — a list
  16. court — of a king
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. court — of law
  24. roll — a cake

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