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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. spell — letters
  5. root — the cause
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rash — a series
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — magic
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. spell — a short time
  19. snap — to click
  20. root — of a word
  21. kid — to tease
  22. can — to be able to
  23. can — a tin
  24. root — of a plant

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