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 120 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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. drill — a practice
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. last — to go on
  7. object — a thing
  8. wound — an injury
  9. last — finally
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. last — final
  17. drill — army training
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. object — to protest
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. object — an aim
  24. fan — a supporter

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