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 · ball · tube · pit · bound · net · wind · saw

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bound — tied together
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wind — moving air
  9. net — for catching
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. net — after costs
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bound — certain
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. net — in sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rule — a law
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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