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: toast · drill · straw · file · mate · racket · content · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. drill — a practice
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — happy
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mate — a partner
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. toast — bread
  16. drill — army training
  17. mate — to breed
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. file — a document
  21. drill — the tool
  22. mate — a friend
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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