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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. roll — a list
  4. shower — rain
  5. pitch — completely
  6. roll — a cake
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rest — a break
  16. drill — the tool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rule — government
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rest — what's left
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. wind — moving air

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