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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. present — a gift
  4. suit — to fit
  5. scale — size or range
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. land — a country
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. scale — in music
  17. land — ground
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fall — to drop
  20. suit — clothes
  21. present — there
  22. land — to come down
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. present — the time now

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