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: field · stock · file · charge · key · rule · club · leaves

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. key — for a lock
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. file — a tool
  5. field — farmland
  6. file — a line of people
  7. club — a group
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. field — for sport
  10. stock — shares
  11. field — a subject
  12. stock — goods
  13. charge — in control
  14. key — in music
  15. rule — a law
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rule — government
  19. charge — electricity
  20. file — a document
  21. key — the most important part
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. charge — a price
  24. leaves — to go away

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