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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — magic
  4. march — the month
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mate — to breed
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. firm — decided
  10. march — music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. firm — a company
  13. mate — a partner
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mate — a friend
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. firm — steady
  20. season — in sport
  21. spell — a short time
  22. march — the month
  23. spell — letters
  24. season — of the year

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