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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. pop — soda
  3. present — there
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bank — of a river
  8. board — to get on
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. present — a gift
  16. pop — music
  17. season — in sport
  18. present — the time now
  19. season — of the year
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — the animal

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