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 116 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rule — government
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. object — a thing
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rule — a law
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. chair — a leader
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. cold — not warm
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wake — a trail

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