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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. rule — a law
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. saw — the tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. band — a ring
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. object — a thing
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. object — an aim
  17. ball — a great time
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. object — to protest
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. band — a music group
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rest — a break

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