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: kid · cell · calf · shower · press · stock · rule · spring

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. rule — government
  3. shower — to wash
  4. press — newspapers
  5. shower — rain
  6. spring — a coil
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. press — to push
  10. stock — goods
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rule — a law
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. kid — child
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stock — shares
  19. press — a publisher
  20. spring — of water
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. calf — of the leg

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