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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pop — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cue — for pool
  5. spell — letters
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cue — a signal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chest — a box
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pop — soda
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pop — to visit
  18. scale — size or range
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. scale — in music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. roll — a list

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