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: mate · fall · net · chair · calf · toast · current · can

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mate — a partner
  4. net — in sport
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — a tin
  8. chair — a leader
  9. current — electric
  10. fall — the season
  11. current — happening now
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. toast — bread
  15. mate — a friend
  16. current — of water
  17. can — to be able to
  18. net — after costs
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. net — for catching
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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