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 · mug · straw · pitcher · deal · land · drill · board

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. land — to come down
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. drill — army training
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. land — a country
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mug — a face
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. drill — the tool
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. land — ground
  20. board — to get on
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. drill — a practice

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