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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fine — high quality
  9. squash — the sport
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. fine — all right
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. sharp — clever
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rule — government
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. sharp — with an edge

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