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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. scale — in music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. field — a subject
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rest — a break
  8. bound — certain
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. toast — bread
  13. field — farmland
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. field — for sport
  16. bound — tied together
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. bound — obliged
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. hide — animal skin

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