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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bound — certain
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lean — to bend
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rule — a law
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — for sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rule — government
  17. court — of a king
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. court — of law
  20. date — the fruit
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lean — thin
  24. date — on the calendar

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