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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rule — a law
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bank — for money
  6. season — in sport
  7. roll — a list
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mug — a face
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — a gift
  13. stock — shares
  14. bank — of a river
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. present — there
  17. roll — a cake
  18. cold — not warm
  19. stock — goods
  20. season — of the year
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. rule — government
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mug — a cup

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