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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. present — the time now
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. present — a gift
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rule — government
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rule — a law
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. present — there
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. row — a quarrel

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