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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. land — to come down
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cue — a signal
  10. lie — to recline
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fine — high quality
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. spell — magic
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. cue — for pool
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. fine — all right

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