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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rule — government
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fine — high quality
  8. snap — to click
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fine — all right
  11. file — a document
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. file — a tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rule — a law
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. row — to paddle
  21. file — a line of people
  22. tear — to rip
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rule — to rule out

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