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: bore · rush · sharp · game · jam · chip · spell · wave

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bore — to tire
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. rush — hurry
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. chip — for betting
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bore — to drill
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. game — a match
  23. sharp — clever
  24. game — wild animals

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