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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spell — letters
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. firm — decided
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rush — hurry
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. firm — steady
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. game — wild animals
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. firm — a company
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. game — a match
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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