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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. deal — to handle
  7. capital — a city
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — letters
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stock — shares
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. capital — money
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. stock — goods
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rash — a series

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