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: deal · pit · bowl · snap · spell · game · lean · court

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. lean — to bend
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. court — of law
  11. spell — letters
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. snap — to click
  18. game — a match
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. game — wild animals
  21. spell — magic
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lean — to rest against

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