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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. current — electric
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. chair — a leader
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — happening now
  11. hand — help
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. fine — high quality
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. current — of water
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. stock — shares
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. lean — thin
  24. stock — goods

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