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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rule — government
  3. row — a line
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rule — a law
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — the tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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