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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — an illness
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mate — a friend
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rule — a law
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bank — of a river

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