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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. mug — a face
  3. rest — what's left
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. rest — what's left
  7. last — final
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — for digging
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cue — a signal
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a ring
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cue — for pool
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mug — a cup
  21. shower — rain
  22. cue — a hint
  23. toast — bread
  24. rest — a break

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