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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. chip — to eat
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fall — the season
  13. tear — from crying
  14. capital — a city
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tear — to rip
  17. lie — to recline
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. pit — in a race
  21. chip — for betting
  22. capital — money
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pit — a hole

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