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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bound — certain
  5. rule — a law
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — not warm
  12. tear — from crying
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chair — a leader
  16. rule — government
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cue — a hint
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cue — for pool
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. spell — letters
  24. cue — a signal

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