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 · squash · chest · rock · fork · cold · suit · key

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. suit — clothes
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. key — for a lock
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. squash — to crush
  10. key — the most important part
  11. fork — in a road
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. key — in music
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — the sport
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cold — an illness
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. toast — bread
  24. chest — of your body

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