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 120 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: rule · spell · tube · hide · calf · mark · snap · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rule — government
  5. spell — magic
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. rule — a law
  10. snap — to click
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. tube — a container
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. spell — letters
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mine — for digging
  24. spell — a short time

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