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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rule — government
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. tube — a container
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mine — for digging
  10. branch — a division
  11. drill — army training
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pound — a weight
  14. dip — to sink
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rule — a law
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. tube — in a tire

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