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: rule · mouse · fall · stock · wound · kick · content · band

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fall — the season
  3. band — a ring
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. kick — in football
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. rule — government
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. content — the amount
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — a law
  24. fall — to drop

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