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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rush — hurry
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. key — in music
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. key — for a lock
  17. deal — to handle
  18. capital — money
  19. rest — a break
  20. capital — a city
  21. hand — help
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rush — a thrill

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