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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pop — music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. toast — bread
  5. pop — to visit
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. last — to go on
  8. rule — a law
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. last — final
  12. pop — soda
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. last — finally
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. saw — the tool
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pound — a weight
  19. rule — government
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cold — an illness

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