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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cue — a hint
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rule — government
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cue — for pool
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. clip — a video
  14. field — for sport
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. chair — a leader
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. field — farmland
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. field — a subject
  24. clip — to cut

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