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: sharp · toast · rock · shower · kid · key · chest · bear

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. key — in music
  4. toast — bread
  5. kid — child
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. chest — of your body
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. shower — rain
  11. sharp — clever
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chest — of your body
  14. kid — to tease
  15. shower — to wash
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. chest — a box
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. key — the most important part

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