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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. track — a song
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — to paddle
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. content — happy
  9. track — a path
  10. sharp — clever
  11. row — a line
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. track — to keep track
  22. content — the amount
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. coach — a trainer

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