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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. land — a country
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. pop — to visit
  6. scale — size or range
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — from a university
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. saw — the tool
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. degree — temperature
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — in music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. land — ground
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pitch — completely
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. saw — the tool
  24. land — to come down

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