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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. staff — employees
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pop — soda
  6. tear — from crying
  7. staff — employees
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bat — the animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pop — music
  15. root — of a plant
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. ball — a great time
  20. land — to come down
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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