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 116 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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. court — for sport
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. ball — a dance
  10. court — of a king
  11. root — the cause
  12. kick — in football
  13. root — of a word
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. court — of law
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bank — for money
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. row — a line
  24. ball — a great time

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