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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stock — goods
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. band — a music group
  7. mate — to breed
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rule — a law
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lie — to recline
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rule — government
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. band — a ring
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stock — shares
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rule — to rule out

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