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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · rule · kid · charge · drill · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. kid — child
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rule — government
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. deal — to handle
  9. drill — army training
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. drill — the tool
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. rule — a law
  15. stem — to come from
  16. drill — a practice
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rule — to rule out

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