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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — a law
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. march — music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. march — the month
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. rule — government
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hand — help
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. board — to get on
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. hand — in cards
  22. board — a committee
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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