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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. present — there
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cell — a phone
  6. key — the most important part
  7. roll — a list
  8. toast — bread
  9. cell — in biology
  10. present — a gift
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bass — low music
  16. present — the time now
  17. can — a tin
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. can — a tin

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