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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. band — a ring
  3. rule — government
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. present — a gift
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. rule — a law
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. present — the time now
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. band — a music group
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. present — there
  24. band — a rubber band

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