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: court · drill · ruler · cabinet · march · spell · deal · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. spell — letters
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. court — for sport
  5. drill — the tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rash — hasty
  8. court — of a king
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. march — the month
  11. drill — a practice
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. march — the month
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. spell — a short time
  16. march — music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — army training
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rash — a series
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. court — of law
  23. spell — magic
  24. cabinet — ministers

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