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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. object — to protest
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. object — a thing
  8. land — ground
  9. track — a song
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. land — to come down
  12. face — to confront
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rule — government
  15. bass — the fish
  16. kid — child
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. object — an aim
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. track — a path
  21. bass — low music
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. land — a country

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