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 120 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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bound — obliged
  3. cell — in biology
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bound — tied together
  7. track — to keep track
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. track — a song
  11. cell — a phone
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a line
  15. bound — certain
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wake — a trail
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — a path
  24. press — to push

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