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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rule — government
  3. stock — shares
  4. file — a document
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stock — goods
  9. dip — to sink
  10. staff — employees
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. staff — a stick
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. staff — employees
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rule — a law
  21. file — a tool
  22. field — a subject
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rule — to rule out

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