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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rule — a law
  4. shower — rain
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. clip — a video
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. shower — to wash
  9. clip — for paper
  10. tear — from crying
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bear — the animal
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. clip — to cut
  24. cabinet — ministers

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