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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. squash — the sport
  7. drill — the tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. drill — a practice
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rule — a law
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — government
  16. drill — army training
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bound — certain
  19. pit — a hole
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pit — in a race
  23. current — electric
  24. calf — a young animal

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