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: court · key · spell · snap · bark · bay · row · ruler

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. court — of a king
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. court — of law
  7. bark — to shout
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. row — a line
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. row — to paddle
  14. spell — a short time
  15. snap — to click
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. court — for sport
  20. key — in music
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bark — of a tree

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