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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. rock — music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. rock — a stone
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. kick — in football
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. kick — with a leg

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