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: stock · ruler · bat · rule · mouse · root · field · wound

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. field — farmland
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rule — government
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. root — the cause
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. root — of a plant
  14. field — a subject
  15. root — of a word
  16. stock — shares
  17. rule — a law
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stock — goods
  21. field — for sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mouse — the animal

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