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: deal · arm · cue · mouse · can · game · sharp · court

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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 kind of play
  3. can — to be able to
  4. game — a match
  5. court — of law
  6. cue — a hint
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. court — for sport
  9. deal — to handle
  10. court — of a king
  11. game — wild animals
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cue — a signal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cue — for pool

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