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: sharp · can · foot · object · bear · toast · capital · clip

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. clip — a video
  6. object — to protest
  7. sharp — clever
  8. object — a thing
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. toast — bread
  11. object — an aim
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. clip — for paper
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. clip — to cut
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. foot — a measure
  19. capital — a city
  20. can — to be able to
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bear — the animal
  23. capital — money
  24. can — a tin

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