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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. press — to push
  8. bank — of a river
  9. march — the month
  10. rash — hasty
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rash — a series
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. march — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. press — newspapers
  24. deal — an agreement

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