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 120 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: pit · stock · rule · mouse · swing · press · land · leaves

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rule — government
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pit — in a race
  5. land — ground
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stock — goods
  8. press — to push
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — in golf
  11. stock — shares
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. land — a country
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rule — a law
  18. swing — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. land — to come down

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