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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rule — a law
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rush — hurry
  6. drill — army training
  7. stock — shares
  8. last — final
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. drill — the tool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rule — government
  13. stock — goods
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chair — a leader
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. last — finally
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stock — a soup base

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