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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. toast — bread
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tube — a container
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. track — a path
  17. pitch — completely
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. tube — the underground
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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