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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. field — a subject
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bear — the animal
  9. race — a contest
  10. field — farmland
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. press — to push
  13. field — for sport
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. race — the arms race
  17. lean — to bend
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. press — a publisher
  22. race — humankind
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lean — thin

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