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: shower · saw · bark · rule · cold · craft · swing · safe

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. shower — to wash
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rule — government
  8. craft — a skill
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rule — a law
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cold — an illness
  14. swing — music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. swing — to play on
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — rain
  23. bark — to shout
  24. swing — in golf

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