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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. spring — a coil
  5. present — a gift
  6. hand — in cards
  7. deal — to handle
  8. present — the time now
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hand — help
  11. game — wild animals
  12. present — there
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. spring — of water
  15. row — to paddle
  16. spring — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. game — a match
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. deal — an agreement

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