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: deal · leaves · rule · mate · jam · wound · land · bulb

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. land — to come down
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. mate — a partner
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mate — to breed
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wound — an injury

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