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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. shower — rain
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wound — an injury
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. last — finally
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — to go on
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. game — a match
  20. last — final
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mouse — 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