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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · spell · fine · deal · rash · band · land · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fine — high quality
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. band — a ring
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. land — a country
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. row — to paddle
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — ground
  18. band — a music group
  19. row — a line
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fine — all right
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. deal — to handle
  24. spell — magic

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