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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. ruler — for measuring
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. court — for sport
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. capital — a city
  9. net — after costs
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. court — of law
  12. present — the time now
  13. capital — money
  14. net — for catching
  15. snap — to click
  16. present — there
  17. present — a gift
  18. tube — the underground
  19. court — of a king
  20. spell — a short time
  21. net — in sport
  22. spell — magic
  23. tube — a container
  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