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 116 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: ground · clip · rush · deal · safe · bass · rule · kick

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rule — government
  3. clip — a video
  4. ground — a position
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. clip — to cut
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ground — the earth
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bass — the fish
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. ground — crushed
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rule — a law
  24. bass — low music

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