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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. craft — boats
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. band — a ring
  6. rule — government
  7. band — a music group
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. clip — a video
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bank — for money
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bank — for money
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. clip — for paper
  19. rule — a law
  20. rock — music
  21. rock — a stone
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ruler — a monarch

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