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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. court — for sport
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. rash — hasty
  6. court — of law
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rash — a series
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mate — a friend
  14. capital — a city
  15. object — a thing
  16. bound — certain
  17. capital — money
  18. court — of a king
  19. object — an aim
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. object — to protest
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mate — to breed

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