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 120 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. key — in music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. key — for a lock
  7. wound — an injury
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cold — not warm
  12. drill — army training
  13. key — the most important part
  14. fine — all right
  15. drill — a practice
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fine — high quality
  22. drill — the tool
  23. content — happy
  24. wound — an injury

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