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 124 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. sharp — clever
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rule — a law
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. bat — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. can — a tin

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