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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. sharp — clever
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. drill — a practice
  6. chip — for betting
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. drill — the tool
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. march — the month
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. march — the month
  23. drill — army training
  24. march — music

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