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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. can — a tin
  4. court — of law
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. chest — of your body
  8. current — electric
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. current — happening now
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stem — to come from
  15. hand — help
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. can — to be able to
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. current — of water
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. chest — of your body
  24. can — a tin

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