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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. row — a line
  3. sharp — clever
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stock — shares
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. hand — in cards
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. rest — a break
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stock — goods
  23. hand — help
  24. row — to paddle

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