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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spell — magic
  3. bound — certain
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. spell — a short time
  7. net — for catching
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rash — a series
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ball — a great time
  14. net — in sport
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bound — obliged
  19. spell — letters
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. net — after costs
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ball — a dance
  24. squash — the sport

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