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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. charge — in control
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. charge — a price
  8. rule — a law
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stock — goods
  16. cold — an illness
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rule — government
  19. cold — not warm
  20. stock — shares
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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