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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. vault — a safe
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. land — a country
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. game — a match
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. land — ground
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bound — certain
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. bound — tied together
  21. date — the fruit
  22. land — to come down
  23. bound — obliged
  24. deal — to handle

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