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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. current — happening now
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rule — government
  10. rock — music
  11. stock — goods
  12. rule — a law
  13. current — of water
  14. fork — in a road
  15. current — electric
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. chest — a box

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