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: snap · deal · ball · capital · toast · pitcher · bear · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. ball — a dance
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. toast — bread
  8. capital — money
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. capital — a city
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bear — the animal
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bear — the 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