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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. firm — steady
  3. perch — the fish
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. firm — decided
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mark — a grade
  10. press — to push
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mark — a trace
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rule — a law
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. press — newspapers
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. firm — a company

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