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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. fine — all right
  6. stock — shares
  7. rule — government
  8. game — a match
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fine — high quality
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rule — a law
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stock — goods
  16. wake — a trail
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. game — a kind of play

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