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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. land — to come down
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bore — to drill
  7. current — of water
  8. shower — rain
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. game — wild animals
  12. current — happening now
  13. land — ground
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. land — a country
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bore — to tire
  19. current — electric
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. shower — to wash
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rule — government
  24. game — a match

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