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 116 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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bore — to drill
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bore — to tire
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. drill — army training
  10. cell — in biology
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. drill — a practice
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. drill — the tool
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bore — gave birth

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