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 · rock · leaves · clip · foot · wave · season · pop

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. foot — a measure
  5. season — in sport
  6. rock — a stone
  7. pop — to visit
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. season — of the year
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. clip — a video
  24. rock — music

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