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 120 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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. bat — the animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. land — ground
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. land — a country
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stock — goods
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — army training
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rule — government
  20. land — to come down
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stock — shares
  23. rule — a law
  24. bat — in an idiom

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