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: rule · mouse · mine · face · clip · rush · bass · stick

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bass — the fish
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rule — government
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bass — low music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. clip — for paper
  12. mine — for digging
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rule — a law
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. clip — a video
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rush — a thrill

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