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: rule · ground · dip · stock · bank · tear · season · spell

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bank — for money
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stock — goods
  6. ground — a position
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rule — a law
  10. ground — the earth
  11. dip — to sink
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — a short time
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. spell — letters
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — in sport
  20. rule — government
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. spell — magic

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