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: saw · chest · toast · lie · present · band · rock · chip

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — a stone
  4. saw — the tool
  5. present — there
  6. band — a music group
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chip — to eat
  10. present — a gift
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. band — a ring
  15. toast — bread
  16. chest — of your body
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. chest — a box
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. present — the time now
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — to move gently

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