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: rush · rule · cold · bound · deal · kick · sharp · land

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rule — a law
  8. cold — an illness
  9. rush — hurry
  10. land — a country
  11. kick — in football
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cold — not warm
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bound — tied together

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