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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. club — for golf
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mug — a face
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mug — a cup
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. deal — to handle
  12. clip — a video
  13. field — a subject
  14. mug — to rob
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. clip — for paper
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. club — a group
  22. clip — to cut
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. club — for dancing

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