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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spell — a short time
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. spell — magic
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mate — to breed
  7. spring — of water
  8. race — a contest
  9. spring — a coil
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. deal — to handle
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spell — letters
  17. spring — the season
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. race — humankind
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mate — a partner
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fork — to eat with

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