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: wound · bank · face · stock · rule · tube · roll · squash

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. rule — government
  3. face — to confront
  4. stock — shares
  5. rule — a law
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. face — part of the head
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. roll — a cake
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. face — to point toward
  15. tube — a container
  16. wound — an injury
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. wound — an injury

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