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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. deal — to handle
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. perch — the fish
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. plane — a tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. firm — a company
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — not warm
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. ball — a dance
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. sharp — exactly

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