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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. tear — to rip
  3. chair — a leader
  4. rule — government
  5. cap — a hat
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cap — of ice
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — wild animals
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. game — a match
  15. cap — a lid
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. shower — to wash
  22. perch — the fish
  23. shower — rain
  24. chair — a professorship

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