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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. land — to come down
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. spring — of water
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. land — ground
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rule — a law
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cap — a lid
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. land — a country
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rule — government
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pass — a permit
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cap — a hat
  24. spring — the season

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