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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wind — moving air
  11. foot — a measure
  12. hand — in cards
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. race — a contest
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wind — moving air
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. race — humankind
  23. cap — of ice
  24. straw — dry grass

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