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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. current — happening now
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. current — electric
  10. kid — child
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. spell — magic
  15. current — of water
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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