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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — government
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rule — a law
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mug — to rob
  9. last — finally
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mug — a face
  12. band — a ring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. band — a music group
  16. last — final
  17. wind — moving air
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. wind — moving air
  22. last — to go on
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. key — in music

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