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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pitch — completely
  10. capital — a city
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. capital — money
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. sharp — exactly

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