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: fine · last · bear · toast · mouse · spring · pitch · pop

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. bear — the animal
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. last — to go on
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pop — music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spring — of water
  16. pop — soda
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. toast — bread
  24. pitch — a sports field

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