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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. spell — magic
  3. spring — the season
  4. face — part of the head
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spring — a coil
  7. rule — a law
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. face — to point toward
  12. root — of a plant
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. root — of a word
  15. chair — a leader
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. track — a path
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. track — a song
  21. face — to confront
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spring — of water
  24. root — the cause

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