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 · spell · pitch · mine · shower · object · bay · saw

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. shower — to wash
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. object — a thing
  9. mine — for digging
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. spell — letters
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. object — an aim
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — to protest
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. saw — the tool
  20. shower — rain
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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