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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rock — music
  3. present — the time now
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. face — to confront
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. present — a gift
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pound — a weight
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. face — part of the head
  17. spell — a short time
  18. present — there
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rock — a stone

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