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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. key — in music
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. date — the fruit
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. snap — to click
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. key — the most important part
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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