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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rule — government
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. hand — in cards
  13. race — a contest
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rest — a break
  16. pit — a hole
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. hand — help
  21. rule — a law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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