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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. current — electric
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. rule — a law
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. tube — a container
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pass — a permit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. key — for a lock
  17. current — of water
  18. shower — rain
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stock — goods
  21. key — the most important part
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. current — happening now
  24. key — in music

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