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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. present — the time now
  3. rule — government
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. present — there
  6. rule — a law
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fork — in a road
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. saw — the tool
  16. present — a gift
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rule — to rule out

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