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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. club — for dancing
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. hand — help
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. land — ground
  10. club — for golf
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. cell — a phone
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — in biology
  18. club — a group
  19. current — electric
  20. land — a country
  21. current — happening now
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. current — of water

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