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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lean — thin
  7. clip — for paper
  8. race — a contest
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mate — a friend
  13. race — the arms race
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. clip — a video
  16. rule — a law
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. race — humankind
  24. safe — a strongbox

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