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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. kid — to tease
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. press — to push
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — bread
  12. key — for a lock
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. press — newspapers
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. game — a match
  18. hand — help
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. press — a publisher
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. kid — child

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