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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. row — to paddle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. spell — letters
  6. rule — a law
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. press — to push
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rule — government
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. deal — to handle
  18. row — a line
  19. spell — magic
  20. spring — the season
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pitch — completely
  24. row — a quarrel

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