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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. stock — goods
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rule — government
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. game — a match
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. scale — in music
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bark — to shout
  13. can — a tin
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. roll — a list
  16. wound — an injury
  17. can — a tin
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rule — a law
  20. game — wild animals
  21. wound — an injury
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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