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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bank — of a river
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bank — for money
  7. scale — in music
  8. squash — the sport
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. squash — to crush
  12. scale — size or range
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a line
  15. ball — a great time
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bank — for money
  18. ball — a dance
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mine — for digging
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mine — an explosive

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