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: staff · spell · rush · game · safe · racket · saw · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. staff — a stick
  5. spell — a short time
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. spell — magic
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — letters
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. game — a match
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. deal — to handle

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