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 124 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. lean — thin
  7. file — a document
  8. lean — to bend
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. file — a line of people
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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