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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. dip — to sink
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spell — magic
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. object — a thing
  15. deal — to handle
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. spell — letters
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. craft — boats
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bat — the animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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