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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lean — to bend
  3. object — an aim
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. file — a tool
  6. object — to protest
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. roll — a cake
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bear — the animal
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lean — thin
  13. file — a line of people
  14. row — to paddle
  15. roll — a list
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. object — a thing
  19. file — a document
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. row — a line
  24. roll — on a roll

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