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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. land — ground
  6. rest — what's left
  7. press — a publisher
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rock — music
  12. land — to come down
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spell — letters
  21. rash — a series
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. land — a country

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