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: cabinet · squash · march · mark · pound · mate · bass · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. march — the month
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. squash — the sport
  5. deal — to handle
  6. march — the month
  7. bass — the fish
  8. march — music
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bass — low music
  15. mate — a partner
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bass — the instrument

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