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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. game — a match
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. tube — the underground
  14. craft — boats
  15. deal — to handle
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — a skill
  20. game — wild animals
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — a container
  24. date — the fruit

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