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 · mouse · wake · hand · cap · arm · file · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. toast — bread
  4. cap — a hat
  5. file — a tool
  6. hand — in cards
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. file — a document
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — a lid

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