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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mate — a partner
  3. cue — a hint
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. snap — to click
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — government
  21. tear — to rip
  22. board — a committee
  23. rule — a law
  24. board — a flat piece

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