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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. face — to point toward
  3. land — to come down
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. face — to confront
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. band — a ring
  11. land — a country
  12. land — ground
  13. roll — a list
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — a tool
  16. roll — a cake
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. face — part of the head
  20. row — to paddle
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. row — a line
  24. roll — on a roll

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