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 · mate · wound · tear · fine · rush · bowl · bound

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fine — all right
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bound — obliged
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bound — tied together
  15. toast — bread
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bound — certain
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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