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: race · fine · bay · coach · cell · rule

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. fine — high quality
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. race — a contest
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. rule — a law
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cell — in biology
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cell — in a prison

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