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'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. tube — a container
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chip — for betting
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cap — a lid
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cell — a phone
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cap — of ice
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mine — an explosive

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