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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. cell — a phone
  7. stock — goods
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bass — the fish
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rule — government
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bass — low music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stock — shares
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rule — a law

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