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: drill · club · can · race · bound · rule · mark · land

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. club — for golf
  3. mark — a grade
  4. land — to come down
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mark — a trace
  8. race — a contest
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. drill — the tool
  12. can — to be able to
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bound — obliged
  15. drill — army training
  16. land — a country
  17. rule — government
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. race — humankind
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — a law
  23. land — ground
  24. bound — certain

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