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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fine — all right
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fine — high quality
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cap — a lid
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stem — to come from
  11. scale — in music
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pop — music
  17. spell — letters
  18. race — humankind
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. pop — soda
  23. race — a contest
  24. cap — of ice

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