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 · roll · mug · face · cold · deal · rush · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. rule — government
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cold — not warm
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. rush — hurry
  10. face — to confront
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. roll — a cake
  16. cold — an illness
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. roll — a list
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rule — a law

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