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

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rule — a law
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a great time
  8. degree — from a university
  9. degree — temperature
  10. ball — a dance
  11. land — ground
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. capital — a city
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rule — government
  18. fine — high quality
  19. land — a country
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. capital — money
  22. degree — an amount
  23. perch — the fish
  24. capital — a big letter

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