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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. rule — a law
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. net — in sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. tear — to rip
  9. stock — shares
  10. spell — magic
  11. rule — government
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. net — after costs
  22. pitch — completely
  23. stock — goods
  24. temple — a place of worship

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