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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. spell — magic
  3. court — of a king
  4. tear — to rip
  5. spell — a short time
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. court — for sport
  9. key — in music
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. degree — an amount
  13. court — of law
  14. rule — a law
  15. spell — letters
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tear — from crying
  18. staff — employees
  19. degree — from a university
  20. staff — a stick
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. key — for a lock
  24. staff — employees

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