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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. squash — to crush
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. kid — to tease
  10. branch — a division
  11. kid — child
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. squash — the sport
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rock — music
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. board — to get on
  18. tear — from crying
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. board — a committee
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. tear — from crying

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