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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spell — letters
  4. snap — to click
  5. sharp — clever
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — magic
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — to recline
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. court — of law
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. spell — a short time
  24. coach — a trainer

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