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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mug — a cup
  4. drill — army training
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mug — to rob
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chest — of your body
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ground — a position
  16. date — the fruit
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mug — a face
  24. deal — a big deal

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