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: current · toast · chair · mouse · date · hand · tube · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tube — a container
  3. mark — a trace
  4. toast — bread
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mark — a grade
  7. current — happening now
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. hand — help
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mouse — the animal

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