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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rush — hurry
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. firm — a company
  9. game — wild animals
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pop — soda
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. toast — bread
  14. firm — decided
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. game — a match
  17. firm — steady
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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