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: stock · tube · trunk · chest · last · key · rule · object

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. chest — a box
  3. object — a thing
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stock — goods
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chest — of your body
  8. last — to go on
  9. key — for a lock
  10. tube — a container
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. key — in music
  18. rule — a law
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. rule — to rule out

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