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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. capital — a city
  6. lean — to bend
  7. capital — money
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. tube — a container
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lean — thin
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stock — shares
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. squash — the sport
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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