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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. present — the time now
  3. rule — a law
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. present — there
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. shower — to wash
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. shower — rain
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — for betting
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chip — to eat
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. present — a gift

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