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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rest — what's left
  7. court — for sport
  8. spell — letters
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. court — of a king
  11. ball — a dance
  12. court — of law
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — a break
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. deal — to handle
  19. snap — to click
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pitch — completely
  22. spell — magic
  23. bank — for money
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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