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: season · chair · band · toast · temple · snap · suit · cap

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. snap — to click
  5. toast — bread
  6. band — a ring
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. band — a music group
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. chair — a leader
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. cap — of ice
  19. suit — in cards
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. suit — clothes

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