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

Word bank: firm · rule · stick · present · cell · stock

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. firm — a company
  3. present — a gift
  4. stock — goods
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — shares
  7. rule — a law
  8. firm — steady
  9. present — there
  10. cell — a phone
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. firm — decided
  16. present — the time now
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cell — in biology

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