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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. march — the month
  3. dip — to sink
  4. net — after costs
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. net — for catching
  8. march — the month
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. march — music
  11. degree — from a university
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. tube — the underground
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. net — in sport
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wind — moving air

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