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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — bread
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cap — a lid
  8. file — a tool
  9. last — final
  10. file — a document
  11. key — the most important part
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cap — of ice
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rule — a law
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. key — in music
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — finally
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fan — a supporter

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