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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. shower — rain
  5. ground — a position
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. ball — a great time
  11. branch — a division
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ground — crushed
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. ball — a dance
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. deal — to handle
  21. ground — the earth
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. shower — to wash
  24. ball — a round shape

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