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: cold · court · rule · sharp · march · hide · bay · stem

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. march — the month
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. court — of law
  8. rule — government
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cold — an illness
  11. court — of a king
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. march — music
  16. cold — not warm
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. court — for sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. march — the month
  24. sharp — clever

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