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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. charge — a price
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rule — a law
  6. stand — to bear
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mate — to breed
  12. race — a contest
  13. pop — soda
  14. charge — in control
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. pop — music
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mate — a friend
  24. squash — the vegetable

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