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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — finally
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. last — to go on
  6. race — humankind
  7. rock — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. race — the arms race
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. face — to confront
  14. race — a contest
  15. cue — for pool
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. last — final
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. capital — a big letter

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