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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. spring — of water
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rule — government
  6. land — ground
  7. dip — to sink
  8. object — an aim
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rule — a law
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. mate — a friend
  16. land — a country
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spring — a coil
  19. land — to come down
  20. spring — the season
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. object — to protest

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