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 120 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. mug — a face
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mug — to rob
  13. rule — government
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. game — a match
  17. mug — a cup
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. rule — a law
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pit — in a race
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cold — the Cold War

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