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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pitch — completely
  4. land — ground
  5. deal — to handle
  6. squash — to crush
  7. spell — letters
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. spell — a short time
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mug — to rob
  12. craft — boats
  13. spell — magic
  14. mug — a face
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. land — to come down
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. land — a country
  23. mug — a cup
  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