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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. present — the time now
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. land — to come down
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. net — for catching
  17. rule — government
  18. land — ground
  19. rule — a law
  20. land — a country
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bass — low music
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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