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: mug · prune · rule · object · land · cold · mark · bank

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — to protest
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. land — a country
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mug — to rob
  8. prune — to trim
  9. rule — government
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. mug — a face
  12. object — a thing
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mark — a grade
  15. land — to come down
  16. bank — for money
  17. cold — not warm
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bank — of a river
  20. prune — to trim
  21. land — ground
  22. object — an aim
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rule — a law

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