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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. cap — of ice
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cap — a hat
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rule — government
  7. swing — in golf
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. swing — music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. last — final
  18. bear — the animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. swing — to play on
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cap — a lid
  23. last — finally
  24. temple — a place of worship

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