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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. game — a match
  8. squash — to crush
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. squash — the sport
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mine — for digging
  18. cold — an illness
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cold — not warm
  24. game — a kind of play

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