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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. tear — from crying
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. wake — a trail
  10. tear — to rip
  11. squash — the sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. can — to be able to
  14. ball — a dance
  15. staff — a stick
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. tear — from crying
  24. wake — before a funeral

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