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: pit · rest · march · bat · rule · rock · fork · chair

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rule — government
  4. pit — a hole
  5. march — music
  6. rock — music
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. march — the month
  9. bat — the animal
  10. rest — a break
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fork — in a road

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