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: firm · fall · rush · rule · hide · march · wound · tube

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wound — an injury
  3. march — music
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rush — hurry
  7. march — the month
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. firm — a company
  11. rule — a law
  12. firm — steady
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. firm — decided
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fall — to drop
  18. tube — a container
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rule — government
  21. fall — the season
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — the underground
  24. march — the month

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