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: ruler · mine · dip · cell · wind · band

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cell — in biology
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cell — a phone
  10. band — a ring
  11. wind — moving air
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. band — a music group
  17. mine — for digging
  18. dip — a sauce

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