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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. race — humankind
  3. kid — child
  4. squash — to crush
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rule — a law
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kid — to tease
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rule — government
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. race — the arms race
  18. saw — the tool
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. race — a contest
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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