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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. land — a country
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rest — what's left
  7. staff — employees
  8. bound — certain
  9. land — to come down
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. face — to confront
  13. stock — shares
  14. land — ground
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stock — goods
  17. staff — a stick
  18. kick — in football
  19. bound — tied together
  20. staff — employees
  21. rest — a break
  22. cue — a signal
  23. rest — what's left
  24. face — to point toward

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