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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. hand — in cards
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. tube — a container
  6. season — in sport
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. season — of the year
  14. snap — to click
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — to recline
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. last — to go on

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