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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. land — ground
  3. fine — all right
  4. cell — in biology
  5. land — to come down
  6. mug — a cup
  7. land — a country
  8. rule — government
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. object — to protest
  12. cell — a phone
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mug — a face
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. track — a song
  17. fine — high quality
  18. track — to keep track
  19. object — an aim
  20. rule — a law
  21. mug — to rob
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. track — a path

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