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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rule — government
  3. mark — a trace
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. roll — a list
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. roll — a cake
  12. branch — a division
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. drill — army training
  15. rule — a law
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rash — a series
  21. drill — the tool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bound — tied together

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