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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mark — a grade
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mark — a trace
  9. tear — to rip
  10. fall — to drop
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tear — from crying
  15. fall — to drop
  16. deal — to handle
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tear — from crying
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. game — wild animals
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. game — a match
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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