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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rule — a law
  5. band — a ring
  6. bank — for money
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. press — to push
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spell — letters
  14. band — a music group
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. press — newspapers
  18. deal — to handle
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rule — government

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