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: key · saw · rule · rash · rush · game · root · mine

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rash — hasty
  4. root — of a word
  5. rush — hurry
  6. key — for a lock
  7. game — wild animals
  8. root — of a plant
  9. rule — a law
  10. key — in music
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rash — a series
  16. rule — government
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mine — for digging
  19. key — the most important part
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. root — the cause
  23. saw — the tool
  24. game — a kind of play

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