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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. wound — an injury
  4. deal — to handle
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wound — an injury
  12. game — a match
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pop — music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pop — soda
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. calf — of the leg

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