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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rash — a series
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. field — farmland
  15. toast — bread
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. field — a subject
  19. march — music
  20. firm — steady
  21. field — for sport
  22. march — the month
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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