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 120 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: squash · pop · deal · object · fan · fine · clip · cell

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. deal — to handle
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. squash — to crush
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pop — soda
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — an aim
  16. pop — music
  17. clip — a video
  18. object — to protest
  19. pop — to visit
  20. object — a thing
  21. squash — the sport
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. clip — for paper
  24. fan — a supporter

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