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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. rule — a law
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. scale — in music
  14. kick — in football
  15. scale — size or range
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rule — government
  18. game — a match
  19. drill — a practice
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. stock — goods

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