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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. deal — to handle
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lean — to bend
  11. capital — money
  12. capital — a city
  13. file — a tool
  14. lean — thin
  15. file — a document
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. branch — a division
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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