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: rule · wound · bore · rash · saw · hand · land · racket

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. hand — in cards
  6. land — ground
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bore — to tire
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. hand — help
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rule — a law
  22. bore — to drill
  23. racket — for tennis
  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