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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. plane — a tool
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. spell — magic
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. hand — help
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. spell — letters
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — the animal
  19. date — the fruit
  20. hand — in cards
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. deal — to handle
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bear — the animal

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