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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. vault — a safe
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bass — low music
  5. cue — a signal
  6. deal — to handle
  7. hand — help
  8. root — the cause
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. mark — a grade
  11. root — of a word
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cue — for pool
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cue — a hint
  21. hand — in cards
  22. mark — a trace
  23. root — of a plant
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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