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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spell — letters
  6. branch — a division
  7. bass — the fish
  8. cold — not warm
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bass — low music
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cold — an illness
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. spell — magic
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bass — the instrument

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