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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. march — the month
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. board — to get on
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. land — a country
  9. march — the month
  10. board — a committee
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. scale — in music
  16. land — ground
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. march — music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bound — obliged
  24. land — to come down

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