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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — letters
  4. rest — a break
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. roll — a cake
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — bread
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. spell — magic
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitch — completely
  24. roll — a list

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