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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rash — a series
  3. spell — magic
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cue — for pool
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — to keep track
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cue — a signal
  11. track — a song
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rash — hasty
  14. track — a path
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cue — a hint
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. jam — in traffic

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