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: temple · rule · rash · fan · wake · stock · ground · cell

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. stock — shares
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ground — the earth
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — a series
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — goods
  23. ground — a position
  24. rash — hasty

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