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: pitcher · deal · chest · bowl · drill · pit · chair · club

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. club — for golf
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pit — in a race
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chest — a box
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. club — a group
  18. drill — army training
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chest — of your body
  22. drill — a practice
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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