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 116 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: stem · ruler · stock · rule · mine · wind

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stock — shares
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rule — a law
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rule — government

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