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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ground — crushed
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. march — music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. march — the month
  13. scale — in music
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rule — a law

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