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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rest — what's left
  5. game — wild animals
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. bass — low music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. game — a match
  12. rest — what's left
  13. present — the time now
  14. spell — magic
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. rest — a break
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rash — a series
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bass — the fish

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