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: squash · foot · roll · cap · sharp · bulb · fall · toast

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. squash — the sport
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. sharp — clever
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fall — the season
  12. toast — bread
  13. fall — to drop
  14. roll — a list
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — a lid
  18. foot — a measure
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — to drop
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. squash — to crush

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