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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — a position
  4. court — of law
  5. wake — a trail
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. object — a thing
  10. court — for sport
  11. object — an aim
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lie — to recline
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ground — the earth
  20. deal — to handle
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. court — of a king
  23. staff — a stick
  24. object — to protest

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