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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. snap — to click
  5. content — the amount
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. content — happy
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spell — a short time
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. key — the most important part
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. key — in music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. court — of a king
  22. foot — a measure
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rest — a break

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