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: club · last · roll · suit · spell · toast · degree · pop

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pop — music
  3. roll — a cake
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. degree — temperature
  6. club — for golf
  7. suit — to fit
  8. last — to go on
  9. spell — magic
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pop — soda
  12. club — a group
  13. roll — a list
  14. toast — bread
  15. spell — a short time
  16. degree — from a university
  17. club — for dancing
  18. suit — in cards
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pop — to visit
  21. suit — clothes
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. spell — letters

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