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 · date · cap · bowl · racket · pass · hand · roll

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cap — a hat
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. date — the fruit
  11. cap — a lid
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. hand — in cards
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rule — a law
  24. hand — help

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