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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rule — a law
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — the season
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. rule — government
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. vault — a safe
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. saw — the tool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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