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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. face — to confront
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. squash — to crush
  6. court — of law
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. squash — the sport
  14. field — for sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. field — farmland
  19. staff — employees
  20. field — a subject
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. saw — the tool
  23. face — part of the head
  24. perch — the fish

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