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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ground — a position
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. race — the arms race
  9. land — to come down
  10. row — a line
  11. lean — thin
  12. race — humankind
  13. land — a country
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. race — a contest
  18. lean — to bend
  19. land — ground
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. row — to paddle

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