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 · perch · saw · safe · face · object · chest · degree

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. face — to confront
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. face — part of the head
  5. object — a thing
  6. chest — of your body
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. saw — the tool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. face — to point toward
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. toast — bread
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. degree — an amount
  20. perch — the fish
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. saw — the tool

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