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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — government
  4. stock — shares
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bank — of a river
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rule — a law
  11. wake — a trail
  12. bank — for money
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — goods
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — a subject
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stock — a soup base

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