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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. file — a line of people
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. swing — to play on
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rush — hurry
  7. toast — bread
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rule — a law
  13. file — a tool
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. object — an aim
  16. cell — in biology
  17. swing — music
  18. object — a thing
  19. rule — government
  20. object — to protest
  21. cell — a phone
  22. file — a document
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cell — in a prison

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