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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mug — a cup
  8. squash — the sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bank — of a river
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mug — to rob
  14. game — a match
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — wild animals
  20. squash — to crush
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mug — a face
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bat — the animal

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