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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. toast — bread
  3. last — final
  4. lean — thin
  5. staff — employees
  6. rule — a law
  7. last — finally
  8. fork — in a road
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. lean — to bend
  14. last — to go on
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. staff — employees
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rule — government
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. date — the fruit
  24. staff — a stick

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