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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. current — electric
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spell — a short time
  5. race — the arms race
  6. current — of water
  7. race — humankind
  8. deal — to handle
  9. game — wild animals
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. current — happening now
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lie — to recline
  15. dip — to sink
  16. spell — letters
  17. race — a contest
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. game — a match
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spell — magic

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