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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. object — a thing
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rule — government
  7. face — to confront
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. pass — a permit
  13. object — an aim
  14. face — part of the head
  15. object — to protest
  16. season — in sport
  17. chest — a box
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — a law
  21. chest — of your body
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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