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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cold — an illness
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. wound — an injury
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cold — not warm
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. can — a tin
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. can — to be able to

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