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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bass — low music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. march — the month
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. rash — hasty
  11. snap — to click
  12. row — a line
  13. toast — bread
  14. file — a document
  15. rule — government
  16. rash — a series
  17. bass — the fish
  18. row — to paddle
  19. file — a tool
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. file — a line of people
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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