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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. rash — a series
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. land — ground
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rash — hasty
  11. land — to come down
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. land — a country
  18. jam — in traffic

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