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: foot · spring · chest · safe · court · rule · snap · spell

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. court — of a king
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. snap — to click
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spring — the season
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. foot — a measure
  9. court — for sport
  10. chest — of your body
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. spell — magic
  13. rule — a law
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rule — government
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. court — of law
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. spell — letters

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