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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rule — a law
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. press — to push
  10. toast — bread
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mark — a grade
  20. press — newspapers
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mark — a trace
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. wound — an injury

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