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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rash — a series
  8. cell — in biology
  9. board — a committee
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. face — to confront
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — hasty
  20. face — part of the head
  21. board — to get on
  22. face — to point toward
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. cell — a phone

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