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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rule — government
  3. net — for catching
  4. court — for sport
  5. spell — letters
  6. court — of law
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — hurry
  9. net — in sport
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — after costs
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. snap — to click
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. court — of a king
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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