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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. race — humankind
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. land — a country
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. race — the arms race
  13. net — after costs
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spring — the season
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. race — a contest
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. spring — of water
  24. pitcher — a jug

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