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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. charge — a price
  7. charge — electricity
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. dip — to sink
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. saw — the tool
  19. charge — in control
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — to bend
  23. cold — an illness
  24. deal — an agreement

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