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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rule — a law
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — certain
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kid — to tease
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. club — a group
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. club — for golf

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