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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. file — a line of people
  7. deal — to handle
  8. file — a tool
  9. mug — a face
  10. chest — a box
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. charge — electricity
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. charge — a price
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mug — a cup
  19. charge — in control
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bat — the animal
  24. file — a document

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