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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. charge — in control
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pit — in a race
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. land — to come down
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — a price
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. land — ground
  14. fine — all right
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rest — a break
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — to handle
  23. land — a country
  24. fine — high quality

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