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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mark — a grade
  3. firm — a company
  4. rule — a law
  5. firm — decided
  6. race — a contest
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rule — government
  10. land — to come down
  11. shower — rain
  12. race — humankind
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. chair — a leader
  16. shower — to wash
  17. land — a country
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. firm — steady
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. land — ground
  24. race — the arms race

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