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: mark · pitcher · hide · hand · roll · club · spell · date

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — in cards
  5. roll — a list
  6. spell — letters
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. club — a group
  9. mark — a trace
  10. club — for dancing
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. date — the fruit
  13. hand — help
  14. spell — a short time
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. roll — a cake
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. club — for golf
  22. mark — a grade
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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