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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. track — a song
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. field — a subject
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — a weight
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. track — a path
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. field — for sport
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cell — in biology
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. field — farmland
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mate — to breed
  24. track — to keep track

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