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: rule · cold · lash · court · firm · rash · season · bear

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. court — of law
  5. season — in sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. cold — an illness
  8. firm — decided
  9. rule — a law
  10. firm — steady
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. season — of the year
  14. cold — not warm
  15. rule — government
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rash — a series
  22. court — for sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. cold — the Cold War

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