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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. row — a line
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kick — in football
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. row — to paddle
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hand — help
  19. mark — a grade
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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