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 · saw · leaves · pitch · temple · foot · cold · chip

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pitch — completely
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. chip — for betting
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. foot — a measure
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cold — an illness
  19. chip — to eat
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. temple — a place of worship

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