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: toast · season · track · face · squash · clip · fork · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. squash — to crush
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. face — to point toward
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. toast — bread
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. track — a song
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. face — to confront
  16. clip — for paper
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fork — in a road
  19. season — in sport
  20. track — a path
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. clip — a video
  23. season — of the year
  24. face — part of the head

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