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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · clip · present · race · rash · cabinet

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. present — there
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. present — the time now
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rule — government
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rule — a law
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. clip — a video
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. rash — a series
  16. clip — to cut
  17. present — a gift
  18. race — a contest

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