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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rule — government
  3. current — happening now
  4. board — to get on
  5. current — of water
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. board — a committee
  8. roll — a cake
  9. stock — goods
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rule — a law
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cell — a phone
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. cell — in biology
  16. current — electric
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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