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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — to handle
  4. spell — magic
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rash — a series
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — moving air
  16. land — ground
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. land — to come down
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. spell — letters
  21. land — a country
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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