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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. shower — to wash
  3. lie — to recline
  4. press — newspapers
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. press — to push
  9. plane — a tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. kid — child
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rule — government
  17. press — a publisher
  18. shower — rain
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. snap — to click

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