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: cap · mine · object · face · cue · rule · spell · temple

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. spell — letters
  5. face — to confront
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. face — part of the head
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. object — a thing
  12. cap — a lid
  13. spell — a short time
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cap — of ice
  17. object — to protest
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. cap — a hat
  21. object — an aim
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rule — a law
  24. spell — magic

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