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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. game — wild animals
  3. firm — a company
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. row — to paddle
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. saw — the tool
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. scale — in music
  17. season — in sport
  18. row — a line
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. firm — steady
  22. game — a match
  23. season — of the year
  24. scale — size or range

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