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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. shower — to wash
  8. charge — in control
  9. shower — rain
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rash — hasty
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spring — of water
  15. charge — electricity
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. spell — letters
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. charge — a price
  22. rash — a series
  23. spell — magic
  24. leaves — lets stay

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