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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. degree — temperature
  8. bore — to drill
  9. row — to paddle
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lean — thin
  18. row — a line
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lean — to bend
  21. snap — to click
  22. degree — an amount
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. degree — from a university

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