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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. season — of the year
  4. bank — for money
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. track — a song
  7. spell — a short time
  8. track — to keep track
  9. season — in sport
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bank — for money
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. track — a path
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. spell — letters
  18. row — a line

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