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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cell — a phone
  3. key — the most important part
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rule — government
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. key — in music
  13. root — of a plant
  14. drill — the tool
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. root — of a word
  19. drill — army training
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. key — for a lock
  22. drill — a practice
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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