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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. rule — government
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. date — the fruit
  7. file — a document
  8. rush — hurry
  9. file — a tool
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stock — goods
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. band — a ring
  14. file — a line of people
  15. can — a tin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. stock — shares
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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