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: ball · toast · cold · bear · root · board · vault · mark

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. toast — bread
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ball — a dance
  6. board — a committee
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. ball — a great time
  11. root — of a plant
  12. board — to get on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bear — the animal
  15. root — of a word
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — an illness
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cold — not warm
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. root — the cause

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