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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. roll — a list
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. row — a line
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. row — to paddle
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mark — a grade
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stand — to bear

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