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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. race — humankind
  3. spell — magic
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rule — a law
  6. race — a contest
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fall — the season
  10. spell — letters
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rule — government
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. court — of a king
  19. race — the arms race
  20. face — to confront
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. court — for sport
  23. face — part of the head
  24. spell — a short time

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