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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fine — all right
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rule — government
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. spell — a short time
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. fine — high quality
  11. wound — an injury
  12. spell — letters
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lie — to recline
  15. spell — magic
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rule — a law
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wound — an injury
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wake — a trail

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