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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. net — in sport
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. rule — government
  11. rock — a stone
  12. saw — the tool
  13. object — an aim
  14. dip — to sink
  15. net — for catching
  16. fall — to drop
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. net — after costs
  21. rash — a series
  22. rock — music
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rule — a law

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