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: mine · sharp · mug · court · shower · deal · mark · race

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He's taking a ________________ 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. court — of a king
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. shower — rain
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mine — for digging
  8. court — for sport
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. race — a contest
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. court — of law
  18. deal — to handle
  19. mug — a face
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mark — a grade
  22. race — humankind
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. shower — to wash

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