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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rash — a series
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. last — to go on
  7. mug — a face
  8. last — final
  9. land — a country
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rash — hasty
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. deal — to handle
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitch — completely
  22. last — finally
  23. mug — a cup
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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