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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fine — high quality
  8. club — a group
  9. deal — to handle
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. snap — to click
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. club — for dancing
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. club — for golf
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wound — an injury
  21. content — the amount
  22. fine — all right
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. key — the most important part

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