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: wake · rule · racket · bowl · stock · mine

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rule — government
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stock — shares
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. wake — a trail
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stock — goods
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rule — a law
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — to roll

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