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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. drill — a practice
  3. race — the arms race
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. spell — magic
  6. race — humankind
  7. hand — help
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mark — a trace
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. drill — army training
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. chair — a leader
  16. race — a contest
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — to trim
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mark — a grade
  21. drill — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — the season
  24. chair — to sit on

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