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 116 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rest — a break
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rule — government
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. capital — money
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pound — a weight
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rest — what's left
  20. row — a line
  21. capital — a city
  22. stem — to come from
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cue — a hint

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