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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. file — a tool
  4. capital — money
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. season — in sport
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. object — an aim
  10. bore — to drill
  11. file — a document
  12. object — a thing
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. capital — a city
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. object — to protest
  19. bore — to tire
  20. season — of the year
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. file — a line of people

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