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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. bore — to tire
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. clip — for paper
  6. present — a gift
  7. race — humankind
  8. squash — to crush
  9. race — the arms race
  10. present — there
  11. bore — to drill
  12. current — happening now
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. current — of water
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. present — the time now
  18. squash — the sport
  19. race — a contest
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. clip — a video
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. branch — a division
  24. current — electric

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