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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. file — a document
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. race — the arms race
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rule — government
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. band — a ring
  14. race — a contest
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. band — a music group
  18. race — humankind
  19. swing — music
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. racket — for tennis

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