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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. rule — a law
  8. land — ground
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. field — a subject
  15. ball — a dance
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. land — a country
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. land — to come down
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bass — low music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wind — to turn a key

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