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 116 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rule — government
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. cold — an illness
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. staff — employees
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bass — low music
  16. content — the amount
  17. cold — not warm
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. march — the month
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — music
  22. content — happy
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rule — a law

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