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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. court — for sport
  9. scale — size or range
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wake — a trail
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. court — of a king
  14. prune — to trim
  15. scale — in music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. rash — a series
  19. bat — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — for weighing

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