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: fork · kid · toast · ball · mug · date · ground · club

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. ball — a dance
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mug — a cup
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. kid — child
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ground — a position
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kid — to tease
  11. club — a group
  12. mug — to rob
  13. club — for dancing
  14. toast — bread
  15. fork — in a road
  16. ground — crushed
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mug — a face
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. club — for golf

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