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: lie · rest · bat · ball · roll · kick · spell · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. spell — magic
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. rest — a break
  8. ball — a dance
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. lie — to recline
  19. kick — in football
  20. roll — a list
  21. bat — the animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. roll — on a roll

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