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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. deal — to handle
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — an illness
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bore — to tire

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