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: staff · squash · rule · dip · hand · rest · spell · court

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. squash — to crush
  3. spell — a short time
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rule — a law
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rest — a break
  8. spell — letters
  9. rest — what's left
  10. staff — employees
  11. court — of a king
  12. staff — employees
  13. rule — government
  14. spell — magic
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. dip — to sink
  19. hand — in cards
  20. court — of law
  21. hand — help
  22. rest — what's left
  23. staff — a stick
  24. court — for sport

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