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: march · rule · patient · capital · racket · sharp · mine · rock

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rock — a stone
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. march — the month
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. sharp — clever
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. rule — government
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rock — music
  20. capital — money
  21. march — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. march — the month
  24. mine — for digging

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