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: patient · file · face · land · stock · rule · temple · wave

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. rule — a law
  3. file — a document
  4. land — a country
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. file — a tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. land — to come down
  16. stock — shares
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. land — ground
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. face — to point toward
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. file — a line of people

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