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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. spring — a coil
  4. season — in sport
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ball — a great time
  9. snap — to click
  10. ball — a dance
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. season — of the year
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — of water
  18. rash — hasty
  19. spring — the season
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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