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: bear · foot · lean · last · mark · jam · pass · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. rule — a law
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lean — thin
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. pass — a permit
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bear — the animal
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. lean — to bend
  20. foot — a measure
  21. last — final
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mark — a grade
  24. foot — part of the body

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