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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · tear · sharp · rule · toast · bowl

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. toast — bread
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. rule — government
  8. sharp — clever
  9. stock — shares
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rule — a law
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. tear — to rip
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. tear — from crying

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