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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. tube — the underground
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rash — a series
  11. club — for golf
  12. foot — a measure
  13. club — for dancing
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rash — hasty
  18. roll — a list
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. club — a group
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. roll — a cake
  24. land — a country

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