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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. object — an aim
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. snap — to click
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. shower — rain
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. shower — to wash
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bark — to shout
  14. ball — a great time
  15. deal — to handle
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. object — to protest
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. object — a thing
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bark — of a tree

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