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 120 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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. object — a thing
  5. file — a line of people
  6. kid — to tease
  7. cap — a lid
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. object — to protest
  10. file — a document
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chair — a leader
  17. file — a tool
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. object — an aim
  21. kid — child
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. pass — to succeed

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