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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kid — to tease
  5. toast — bread
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. kid — child
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — low music
  16. stock — shares
  17. face — to confront
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. deal — to handle
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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