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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rush — hurry
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. tear — to rip
  8. deal — to handle
  9. chest — of your body
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. game — wild animals
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. tear — from crying
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bowl — a dish

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