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: spring · rush · bore · swing · rule · stock · object · mug

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stock — goods
  5. mug — a face
  6. spring — the season
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bore — to drill
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. spring — a coil
  13. rule — a law
  14. stock — shares
  15. mug — to rob
  16. object — a thing
  17. spring — of water
  18. rush — hurry
  19. object — to protest
  20. rule — government
  21. object — an aim
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. mug — a cup

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