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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rest — a break
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rule — government
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. race — the arms race
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. race — humankind
  12. row — a line
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rule — a law
  15. race — a contest
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. row — to paddle
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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