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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. can — to be able to
  5. land — a country
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rule — government
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. kid — to tease
  11. land — to come down
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. can — a tin
  15. mark — a trace
  16. can — a tin
  17. spring — of water
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rule — a law
  20. branch — a division
  21. land — ground
  22. kid — child
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mark — a grade

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