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 · patient · bat · shower · plane · mouse · mark · wind

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mark — a grade
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bat — the animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. shower — rain
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. toast — bread
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mark — a trace
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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