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 116 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: wave · spell · rash · cabinet · staff · kid · object · spring

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. kid — to tease
  4. staff — employees
  5. object — a thing
  6. kid — child
  7. spring — the season
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rash — hasty
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rash — a series
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spring — of water
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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