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: band · current · rule · race · can · foot · cue · cold

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. can — to be able to
  3. band — a ring
  4. rule — a law
  5. band — a music group
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. race — the arms race
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. race — a contest
  12. cold — an illness
  13. can — a tin
  14. current — electric
  15. race — humankind
  16. cue — for pool
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. can — a tin
  20. current — happening now
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. foot — a measure
  23. current — of water
  24. cue — a hint

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