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: fan · current · stock · stand · perch · rest · saw · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. current — electric
  3. stock — goods
  4. rule — a law
  5. current — happening now
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rest — a break
  13. saw — the tool
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rest — what's left
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stock — shares
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. current — of water
  24. rest — what's left

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