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: wake · deal · bay · cap · toast · vault · plane · squash

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. cap — a hat
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wake — a trail
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. squash — the sport
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. squash — to crush
  20. toast — bread
  21. vault — a safe
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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