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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. land — to come down
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. track — a song
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rule — a law
  18. net — in sport
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. land — ground
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ruler — for measuring

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