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: rock · chest · stock · ball · rule · coach · ruler · squash

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. chest — a box
  3. stock — goods
  4. rock — music
  5. stock — shares
  6. rock — a stone
  7. squash — to crush
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rule — government
  11. ball — a dance
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. rule — a law
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chest — of your body

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