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: cold · patient · mouse · ground · spell · hide · wound · ruler

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ground — the earth
  3. spell — magic
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — crushed
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. spell — letters
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. cold — an illness
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cold — not warm

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