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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. tear — from crying
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rule — government
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. row — a line
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — high quality
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mug — a face
  17. rule — a law
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mug — a cup
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. fine — all right

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