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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. clip — for paper
  3. file — a line of people
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pit — in a race
  7. row — a line
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. toast — bread
  15. file — a document
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. file — a tool
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. clip — a video

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