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: firm · lie · mate · drill · court · land · deal · sharp

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. court — for sport
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mate — to breed
  7. land — to come down
  8. drill — a practice
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. firm — decided
  11. mate — a partner
  12. deal — to handle
  13. land — ground
  14. mate — a friend
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. sharp — clever
  18. drill — the tool
  19. land — a country
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. drill — army training
  22. firm — a company
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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