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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stem — to come from
  7. band — a music group
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. band — a ring
  10. rule — a law
  11. ball — a dance
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ball — a great time
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. kid — child
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. hand — help
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rule — government

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