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: wake · court · face · stem · spell · saw · snap · bowl

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. saw — the tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. spell — a short time
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. spell — magic
  14. court — of law
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. spell — letters
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. court — for sport
  20. stem — to come from
  21. face — part of the head
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. snap — to click
  24. bowl — a football final

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