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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cold — an illness
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pit — in a race
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cold — not warm
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mouse — the animal

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