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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. object — a thing
  3. roll — a list
  4. bat — the animal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. race — the arms race
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. roll — a cake
  15. race — humankind
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. saw — the tool
  19. race — a contest
  20. object — to protest
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. object — an aim
  24. bat — for 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