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 120 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tear — to rip
  3. charge — in control
  4. chest — of your body
  5. cue — for pool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. charge — electricity
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rule — a law
  10. field — a subject
  11. cue — a signal
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. field — farmland
  14. chest — of your body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rule — government
  17. charge — a price
  18. cue — a hint
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — a box
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. field — for sport
  24. rule — to rule out

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