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 116 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 · cap · snap · stand · kid · stock · game · lie

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. kid — to tease
  3. snap — to click
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rule — government
  6. cap — a hat
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rule — a law
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. game — a match
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cap — a lid
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. stock — goods
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stock — shares
  21. lie — to recline
  22. kid — child
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. game — wild animals

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