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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stock — shares
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. charge — a price
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stock — goods
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. charge — in control
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. charge — electricity
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — not warm
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ruler — a monarch

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