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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. degree — from a university
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. wake — a trail
  10. tear — from crying
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chip — for betting
  13. last — to go on
  14. chip — to eat
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rule — a law
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. last — final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rule — government
  22. last — finally
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. safe — out of danger

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