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 116 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. club — for golf
  4. pop — soda
  5. track — a song
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. drill — the tool
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bat — the animal
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. track — to keep track
  13. drill — a practice
  14. track — a path
  15. drill — army training
  16. suit — to fit
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. club — a group
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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