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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. root — the cause
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. root — of a plant
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cap — a hat
  15. drill — army training
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. toast — bread
  20. root — of a word
  21. deal — to handle
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. spell — magic

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