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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. land — a country
  5. press — to push
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. land — to come down
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bore — to drill
  13. land — ground
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mine — for digging
  17. press — a publisher
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. press — newspapers
  20. current — of water
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. rule — government

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