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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chest — a box
  4. spell — magic
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rest — what's left
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bank — for money
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rest — a break
  13. plane — a tool
  14. game — a match
  15. spell — a short time
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bank — for money
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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