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: hand · toast · rest · staff · band · kid · squash · last

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. toast — bread
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. last — final
  5. rest — a break
  6. band — a ring
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. last — finally
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. staff — employees
  15. hand — help
  16. staff — a stick
  17. squash — the sport
  18. hand — in cards
  19. squash — to crush
  20. kid — child
  21. rest — what's left
  22. band — a music group
  23. kid — to tease
  24. last — to go on

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