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: hide · rest · rule · march · wake · tear

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. march — the month
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rule — government
  16. march — the month
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin

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