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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. charge — in control
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stem — to come from
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pop — soda
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bat — the animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pop — to visit
  15. court — for sport
  16. rash — a series
  17. court — of law
  18. pop — music
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. court — of a king
  24. bat — in an idiom

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