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: capital · bear · lash · rule · hand · firm · mug · court

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rule — a law
  4. mug — to rob
  5. court — for sport
  6. firm — steady
  7. court — of a king
  8. hand — help
  9. firm — a company
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. court — of law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. capital — a city
  23. firm — decided
  24. lash — an eyelash

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