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 · tear · drill · straw · craft · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. drill — army training
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. drill — the tool
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. tear — to rip
  12. craft — boats
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. toast — bread
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. drill — a practice
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. tear — from crying

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