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: fall · snap · chair · rash · craft · rule · ball · bank

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rule — government
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. craft — boats
  6. rash — a series
  7. chair — a leader
  8. fall — to drop
  9. snap — to click
  10. bank — for money
  11. fall — the season
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rule — a law
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. craft — a skill
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bank — for money
  24. craft — a handicraft

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