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: bowl · ground · bank · bark · degree · ruler · cabinet · rule

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — government
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bank — for money
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rule — a law
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bank — of a river
  15. degree — an amount
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — to shout

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