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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ground — crushed
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mark — a trace
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ground — a position
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. game — wild animals
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. saw — the tool
  19. game — a match
  20. rush — hurry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. lie — an untruth

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