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: bat · bowl · roll · object · rule · temple · land · saw

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. object — an aim
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — a list
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. saw — the tool
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. object — to protest
  19. rule — government
  20. bat — the animal
  21. land — ground
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. temple — a place of worship

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