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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spell — magic
  12. saw — the tool
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fall — the season
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — there
  17. spell — a short time
  18. key — for a lock
  19. present — a gift
  20. spell — letters
  21. deal — to handle
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cap — a hat

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