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: deal · land · track · firm · rule · bear · wake · wind

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rule — government
  3. track — to keep track
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. land — to come down
  7. track — a song
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. land — ground
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bear — the animal
  13. track — a path
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rule — a law
  17. land — a country
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. firm — steady
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — a company
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. deal — to handle

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