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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — of water
  6. stock — goods
  7. stock — shares
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ground — a position
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. fall — the season
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rule — a law
  17. ground — the earth
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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