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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bore — to tire
  10. march — music
  11. rest — what's left
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. march — the month
  14. court — of a king
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bore — to drill
  18. court — for sport
  19. march — the month
  20. court — of law
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wind — moving air
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bore — gave birth

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