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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wind — moving air
  4. key — in music
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — to wash
  11. tear — to rip
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. wind — moving air
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. tear — from crying
  21. lean — thin
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. shower — rain
  24. branch — a division

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