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: foot · game · toast · scale · spring · tube · bass · suit

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bass — the fish
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. tube — a container
  7. toast — bread
  8. suit — in cards
  9. game — wild animals
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bass — low music
  12. tube — the underground
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. suit — clothes
  16. scale — in music
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. spring — a coil
  19. suit — to fit
  20. scale — size or range
  21. spring — of water
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. game — a match
  24. spring — the season

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