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 · vault · face · cold · mug · root · rash · land

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. face — to point toward
  6. rash — hasty
  7. face — part of the head
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mug — a cup
  10. land — ground
  11. mug — to rob
  12. rule — government
  13. cold — not warm
  14. land — a country
  15. root — of a word
  16. rash — a series
  17. mug — a face
  18. land — to come down
  19. root — the cause
  20. face — to confront
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rash — on the skin

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