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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. season — of the year
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cap — of ice
  8. drill — a practice
  9. spring — of water
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cap — a hat
  12. spring — the season
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. deal — to handle
  16. drill — army training
  17. cap — a lid
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. season — in sport
  20. drill — the tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. temple — side of the head

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