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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. field — a subject
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fine — all right
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — a match
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. scale — in music

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