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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. deal — to handle
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. object — a thing
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. squash — to crush
  9. sharp — clever
  10. firm — decided
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. object — an aim
  13. lean — to bend
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. squash — the sport
  16. firm — a company
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. scale — in music
  19. lean — thin
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. object — to protest

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