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: net · hand · chest · track · safe · cabinet · club · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. track — a song
  3. net — after costs
  4. toast — bread
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. club — a group
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. chest — of your body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. club — for dancing
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. track — a path
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. club — for golf
  17. hand — help
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cabinet — ministers

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