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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rest — a break
  3. spring — of water
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — a law
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. spring — the season
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rule — government
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mine — for digging
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rush — hurry
  23. sharp — clever
  24. spring — a coil

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