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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lean — to bend
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cue — a hint
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — thin
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. land — ground
  11. game — a match
  12. fall — the season
  13. mark — a grade
  14. net — for catching
  15. land — to come down
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. game — wild animals
  19. land — a country
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fall — to drop
  22. net — after costs
  23. cue — a signal
  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