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 · chip · bark · arm · date · mug · racket · ball

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. ball — a great time
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mug — a face
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mug — a cup
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. date — the fruit
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. ball — a dance

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