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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. spell — a short time
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spell — magic
  7. ball — a great time
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. snap — to click
  10. rule — government
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. rule — a law
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fork — in a road
  18. present — there
  19. spell — letters
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. present — the time now
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fork — to eat with

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