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: bear · perch · fan · chair · pound · nail · deal · racket

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. bear — the animal
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — a weight
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. perch — the fish
  16. deal — to handle
  17. chair — a leader
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. nail — on a finger

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