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 · lash · sharp · charge · deal · march · cue · bark

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rule — a law
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. charge — electricity
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rule — government
  12. cue — a hint
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. march — the month
  17. sharp — clever
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. charge — a price
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lash — to lash 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