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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mug — a cup
  6. last — final
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. game — a match
  10. bulb — for light
  11. last — to go on
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — finally
  14. pop — music
  15. scale — in music
  16. mug — a face
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rule — a law
  21. pop — to visit
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pop — soda

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