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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. can — a tin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. shower — rain
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — to be able to
  13. season — of the year
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. file — a tool
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. file — a document
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. season — in sport
  24. chair — a leader

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