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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. spell — letters
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stand — to bear
  8. hand — in cards
  9. club — for dancing
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. net — after costs
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. club — for golf
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. net — in sport
  19. club — a group
  20. wake — a trail
  21. branch — a division
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. spell — a short time

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