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: swing · tube · cell · bay · game · plane · toast · mate

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. tube — a container
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. tube — the underground
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mate — to breed
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — in golf
  9. game — a match
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. game — wild animals
  15. toast — bread
  16. cell — in biology
  17. swing — music
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mate — a partner
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mate — a friend
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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