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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. club — for golf
  3. sharp — clever
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. plane — a tool
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rule — government
  15. deal — to handle
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. club — a group
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rule — a law
  20. club — for dancing
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bowl — a football final

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