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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rule — a law
  3. mine — for digging
  4. spell — magic
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. cap — of ice
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cap — a hat
  16. deal — to handle
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cap — a lid
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. arm — part of the body

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