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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stock — goods
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. rule — government
  10. land — a country
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rule — a law
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. land — ground
  16. land — to come down
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. club — for golf
  22. snap — to click
  23. cap — a lid
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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