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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. court — for sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. court — of law
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rule — a law
  17. bulb — for light
  18. season — in sport
  19. hand — help
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. court — of a king
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rule — government
  24. foot — the bottom

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