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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bank — for money
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. race — the arms race
  7. race — a contest
  8. rule — government
  9. hand — in cards
  10. charge — in control
  11. bank — for money
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stock — shares
  14. bank — of a river
  15. charge — electricity
  16. game — wild animals
  17. hand — help
  18. stock — goods
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. race — humankind
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rule — a law
  23. charge — a price
  24. dip — to sink

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