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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. present — a gift
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. present — the time now
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rule — a law
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. present — there
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. ruler — for measuring

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