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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. prune — to trim
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. kid — to tease
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. key — in music
  12. land — a country
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chair — a leader
  16. sharp — clever
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. kid — child
  21. key — for a lock
  22. deal — to handle
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. land — ground

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