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 · cold · chest · deal · cue · leaves · rule · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. chest — of your body
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rule — a law
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cold — an illness
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. spell — magic
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cue — for pool
  14. chest — a box
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cold — not warm
  18. spell — letters
  19. season — in sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cue — a signal
  22. rule — government
  23. chest — of your body
  24. deal — an agreement

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