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: tear · ruler · press · land · patient · racket

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. tear — from crying
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. land — to come down
  6. tear — to rip
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. press — a publisher
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. press — newspapers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. land — ground
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. press — to push
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. patient — a sick person

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