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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. rule — a law
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wound — an injury
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rule — government

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