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 120 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 · spell · band · march · rule · prune · ruler · arm

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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. deal — to handle
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. band — a ring
  7. spell — a short time
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rule — government
  11. march — the month
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. spell — magic
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — the month
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spell — letters
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. march — music
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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