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: spell · leaves · lie · row · race · rule · chest · squash

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. lie — to recline
  4. spell — magic
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chest — of your body
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. chest — of your body
  10. squash — to crush
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. race — humankind
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. row — a line
  15. race — the arms race
  16. row — to paddle
  17. spell — letters
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spell — a short time
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rule — government
  22. chest — a box
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. race — a contest

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