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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. swing — to play on
  4. race — a contest
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. key — the most important part
  9. race — humankind
  10. swing — in golf
  11. race — the arms race
  12. key — for a lock
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. key — in music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. content — the amount
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. toast — bread
  23. swing — music
  24. content — happy

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