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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. suit — clothes
  3. shower — rain
  4. cue — for pool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. suit — in cards
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. shower — to wash
  12. hand — help
  13. bass — low music
  14. cue — a hint
  15. kick — in football
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bass — the fish
  18. ground — a position
  19. deal — to handle
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ground — crushed
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. ground — the earth

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