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: land · wave · saw · bore · degree · fine · bass · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bass — the fish
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fine — high quality
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. land — ground
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. fine — all right
  13. saw — the tool
  14. land — a country
  15. bass — low music
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. degree — an amount
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. land — to come down
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rule — a law
  24. wave — of the sea

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