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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wind — moving air
  7. deal — to handle
  8. chest — of your body
  9. firm — a company
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cap — a hat
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. track — a song
  15. mate — a friend
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cap — of ice
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. chest — a box
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. track — a path
  24. roll — a list

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