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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. swing — music
  3. file — a line of people
  4. roll — a list
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. chair — a leader
  11. roll — a cake
  12. rule — government
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. squash — the sport
  16. rule — a law
  17. swing — to play on
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. file — a document
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. file — a tool
  23. court — of law
  24. squash — to crush

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