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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wind — moving air
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. land — to come down
  8. can — a tin
  9. rule — government
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. land — a country
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. file — a document
  15. land — ground
  16. file — a tool
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. toast — bread
  23. rule — a law
  24. can — a tin

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