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: lash · fork · track · game · bear · hand · deal · sharp

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. game — a match
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. deal — to handle
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hand — help
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bear — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a path
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. game — wild animals
  22. fork — in a road
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. track — a song

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