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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. mate — a friend
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — a phone
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rule — government
  10. hand — help
  11. object — to protest
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hand — in cards
  14. object — a thing
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — a tin
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — goods
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stock — shares
  22. object — an aim
  23. mate — to breed
  24. can — to be able to

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