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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. firm — decided
  3. tear — to rip
  4. clip — for paper
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rule — a law
  7. firm — a company
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bank — for money
  11. firm — steady
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stock — goods
  15. clip — a video
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stock — shares
  18. rule — government
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — from crying
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bank — for money

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