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: file · season · lie · degree · arm · saw · toast · mouse

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. degree — from a university
  3. season — of the year
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. saw — the tool
  6. degree — an amount
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. degree — temperature
  9. file — a line of people
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. file — a document
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. season — in sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. file — a tool

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