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 116 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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rule — government
  4. drill — the tool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cap — a lid
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cap — of ice
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rule — a law
  24. cold — the Cold War

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