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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. drill — army training
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. court — of a king
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. drill — the tool
  8. kid — to tease
  9. season — of the year
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. season — in sport
  13. kid — child
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lie — to recline
  18. drill — a practice

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