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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. land — ground
  3. track — to keep track
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. current — happening now
  9. track — a path
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. track — a song
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. land — a country
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rule — a law
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — to come down
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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