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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spell — letters
  3. mate — a partner
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. vault — a safe
  6. snap — to click
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rule — government
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mate — to breed
  20. spell — magic
  21. rule — a law
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. spell — a short time
  24. temple — a place of worship

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