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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. key — in music
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. roll — a cake
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. roll — a list
  8. key — for a lock
  9. face — to point toward
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. face — to confront
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wind — moving air
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rush — hurry
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. deal — to handle

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