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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · toast · present · chip · squash · straw · date · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. chip — to eat
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. chip — for betting
  8. can — a tin
  9. present — there
  10. squash — to crush
  11. present — the time now
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. net — for catching
  14. present — a gift
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. squash — the sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. date — the fruit
  22. can — a tin
  23. toast — bread
  24. can — to be able to

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