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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. deal — to handle
  3. date — the fruit
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of a king
  6. land — a country
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. shower — rain
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ground — a position
  16. shower — to wash
  17. court — for sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. court — of law
  22. bark — to shout
  23. ground — crushed
  24. deal — an agreement

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