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 · kid · bass · cap · staff · season · bank · bat

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bank — for money
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. season — of the year
  7. bat — the animal
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. season — in sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. staff — employees
  19. bank — of a river
  20. kid — child
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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