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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. land — to come down
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. spell — magic
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. club — a group
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. land — ground
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. spell — letters
  15. cell — a phone
  16. snap — to click
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. club — for golf
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. rule — a law
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. club — for dancing

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