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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. club — for dancing
  5. row — to paddle
  6. spell — magic
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. last — final
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. club — for golf
  12. spell — a short time
  13. last — finally
  14. rule — a law
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. last — to go on
  19. club — a group
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. row — a line
  22. rule — government
  23. spell — letters
  24. rule — to rule out

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