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 · chip · jam · cold · stock · toast · foot · plane

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. mate — a friend
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. stock — goods
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. plane — a tool
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. stock — shares
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cold — not warm
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — bread
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chip — to eat
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — to breed
  21. chip — for betting
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. foot — a measure

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