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: tube · rule · ruler · key · degree · court · prune · can

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. tube — the underground
  3. rule — a law
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. degree — from a university
  8. key — the most important part
  9. prune — to trim
  10. key — in music
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. can — a tin
  13. court — of law
  14. can — a tin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. key — for a lock
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. tube — a container
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. degree — temperature
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rule — to rule out

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