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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — government
  4. season — in sport
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rule — a law
  12. file — a tool
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. drill — army training
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. season — of the year
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. file — a document
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wake — a trail
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pass — a permit

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