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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bass — the fish
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. game — a match
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kid — child
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. game — wild animals
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. rule — a law
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. toast — bread
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bass — low music

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