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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. snap — to click
  4. board — to get on
  5. rest — a break
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — government
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. clip — for paper
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — a measure
  17. board — a committee
  18. rest — what's left
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rest — what's left
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ground — the earth

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