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 · arm · mug · kid · ground · face · last · fine

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. last — final
  5. mug — a cup
  6. face — to confront
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mug — to rob
  9. ground — a position
  10. fine — high quality
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mug — a face
  14. face — to point toward
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. ground — crushed
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rule — government
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rule — a law
  22. ground — the earth
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fine — all right

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