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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. land — to come down
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. land — ground
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. drill — the tool
  9. rule — government
  10. band — a music group
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stock — goods
  13. bank — for money
  14. band — a ring
  15. mark — a trace
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — a grade
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rule — a law
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — army training
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. land — a country

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