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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rule — a law
  3. rush — hurry
  4. squash — the sport
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rule — government
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. firm — steady
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. hand — help
  16. face — to confront
  17. hand — in cards
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mark — a trace
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. firm — decided
  24. mark — a grade

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