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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cell — a phone
  4. object — to protest
  5. spell — letters
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. season — of the year
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. object — a thing
  18. season — in sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rest — a break
  22. object — an aim
  23. spell — magic
  24. rest — what's left

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