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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. stock — shares
  3. land — ground
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — a law
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. land — a country
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. land — to come down
  15. stock — goods
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. wave — with your hand

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