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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · ruler · toast · capital · spell · mine

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. spell — letters
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. cell — a phone
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. spell — magic
  11. toast — bread
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — money
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mine — for digging

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