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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mine — for digging
  5. rest — a break
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bound — certain
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — shares
  11. bass — low music
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rule — government
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. stock — goods
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rule — a law
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bass — the fish

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