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: spell · kick · foot · mug · shower · race · deal · pitch

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mug — a cup
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pitch — completely
  8. shower — to wash
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. race — a contest
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mug — a face
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. spell — letters
  18. deal — to handle
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mug — to rob
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. race — humankind

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