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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rule — a law
  4. file — a document
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stock — goods
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pop — to visit
  14. season — in sport
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stock — shares
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rule — government
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pop — music
  21. file — a tool
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. season — of the year

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