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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. deal — to handle
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. root — of a word
  7. shower — rain
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hand — in cards
  12. root — the cause
  13. scale — in music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. shower — to wash
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mate — to breed
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. hand — help
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. scale — for weighing

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