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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. court — for sport
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lean — thin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. race — a contest
  7. cold — an illness
  8. court — of law
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cold — not warm
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. court — of a king
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bound — certain
  16. race — humankind
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hand — help
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. hand — in cards

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