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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rule — government
  5. stock — goods
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stock — shares
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rule — a law
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. ball — a great time
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. ball — a dance
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rule — to rule out

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