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 124 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: snap · key · rule · cap · present · straw · tube · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. tube — the underground
  3. present — there
  4. rule — government
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. spell — letters
  7. key — the most important part
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. present — the time now
  10. key — for a lock
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. tube — a container
  18. key — in music
  19. cap — a lid
  20. spell — a short time
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. present — a gift
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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