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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. branch — a division
  3. dip — to sink
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wake — a trail
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. degree — an amount
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. deal — to handle
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. degree — temperature
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. degree — from a university
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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