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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. game — wild animals
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mine — for digging
  12. game — a match
  13. land — ground
  14. rock — music
  15. land — a country
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. land — to come down
  18. mouse — the animal

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