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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rule — government
  6. object — a thing
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. object — an aim
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mug — a cup
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rule — a law
  14. wound — an injury
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. object — to protest
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mug — to rob
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mug — a face
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. spell — magic

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