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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rash — hasty
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — magic
  12. chip — to eat
  13. last — final
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — finally
  16. court — for sport
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — a series
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. court — of a king
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — to go 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