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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — a contest
  5. cue — for pool
  6. march — the month
  7. clip — to cut
  8. game — wild animals
  9. clip — for paper
  10. game — a match
  11. race — humankind
  12. march — the month
  13. bulb — for light
  14. march — music
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. content — the amount
  17. clip — a video
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. cue — a hint
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rule — a law
  23. content — happy
  24. race — the arms race

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