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: lean · stand · rule · date · current · can · mug · mine

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rule — government
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. current — happening now
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — thin
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. current — electric
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mine — for digging
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rule — a law
  18. current — of water
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. can — to be able to
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. date — the fruit

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