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: ground · saw · tube · deal · mug · mine · degree · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mug — a face
  5. saw — the tool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ground — a position
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — a container
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mine — for digging
  17. tube — the underground
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mug — a cup
  21. saw — the tool
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rule — government

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