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: fan · toast · lie · rest · wound · squash · rock · game

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. game — a match
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rest — a break
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rock — music
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wound — an injury
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. squash — to crush
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. toast — bread
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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