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: straw · cell · pop · toast · calf · bound · fine · season

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — bread
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fine — high quality
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pop — soda
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. season — of the year
  16. fine — all right
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bound — tied together
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bound — certain
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — in sport
  24. straw — dry grass

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