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 120 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — to come down
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. spell — letters
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — a country
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — ground
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. face — to confront
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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