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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rule — a law
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — certain
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. rule — government
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — ground
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. land — a country

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