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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. race — humankind
  3. rule — government
  4. court — of a king
  5. race — a contest
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. prune — to trim
  9. spell — magic
  10. race — the arms race
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. spell — letters
  13. court — for sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — for pool
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cue — a signal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cue — a hint
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. court — of law
  24. prune — to trim

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