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: kid · present · deal · squash · bear · rush · wind · bark

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kid — child
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. present — the time now
  14. squash — to crush
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kid — to tease

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