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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rule — a law
  3. stock — shares
  4. land — to come down
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lie — to recline
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. kick — in football
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stock — goods
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — government
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. season — of the year
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. chest — of your body
  24. season — in sport

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