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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. tube — the underground
  4. game — a match
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. dip — to sink
  7. march — the month
  8. tube — a container
  9. current — electric
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. game — wild animals
  12. current — happening now
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — a face
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. current — of water
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. march — music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. march — the month

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