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 116 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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. saw — the tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. root — the cause
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fork — in a road
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. root — of a word
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — a weight
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. root — of a plant
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. wave — with your hand

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