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: key · bat · kick · toast · safe · coach · rush · saw

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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 — the most admired
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. key — for a lock
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. toast — bread
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. kick — in football
  10. key — the most important part
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rush — hurry
  23. key — in music
  24. kick — with a leg

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