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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. spell — magic
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. cell — in biology
  5. snap — to click
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — a short time
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. spell — letters
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — in football
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pit — in a race
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. season — of the year
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ball — a great time

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