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 · stock · mug · bulb · chair · cap · roll · fine

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mug — a face
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fine — all right
  13. stock — shares
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bulb — for light
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fine — high quality
  20. roll — a cake
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bulb — of a plant

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