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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fine — all right
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rule — a law
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. squash — to crush
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rule — to rule out

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