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: cap · stand · suit · ball · land · kick · row · rule

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. land — ground
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cap — a hat
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. land — to come down
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rule — government
  15. stand — to bear
  16. suit — in cards
  17. land — a country
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rule — a law
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. suit — clothes
  23. row — to paddle
  24. kick — in football

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