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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. chest — a box
  4. fine — all right
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. cue — a signal
  7. tube — a container
  8. fine — high quality
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. chest — of your body
  11. cold — an illness
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rule — a law
  14. cue — for pool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rule — government
  17. tube — the underground
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cold — not warm
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cue — a hint
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fine — a penalty

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