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: perch · band · toast · roll · mate · lie · deal · straw

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mate — a friend
  4. band — a ring
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lie — to recline
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. perch — the fish
  23. deal — to handle
  24. mate — to breed

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