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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ground — a position
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rule — government
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. clip — for paper
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rule — a law
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bore — to tire
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. clip — to cut
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. clip — a video

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