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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pop — to visit
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pop — music
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. fall — to drop
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bore — to tire
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bore — to drill
  17. fall — the season
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pop — soda
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mate — to breed
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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