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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cold — not warm
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bound — tied together
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cold — an illness
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bound — certain
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pass — a permit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. temple — a place of worship

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