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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rule — a law
  3. bear — the animal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mug — to rob
  8. march — music
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rule — government
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. march — the month
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. shower — rain
  17. march — the month
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rest — a break
  22. lean — thin
  23. shower — to wash
  24. straw — dry grass

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