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 · coach · scale · rule · club · field · hand · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. club — a group
  4. field — farmland
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rule — a law
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rule — government
  13. club — for golf
  14. tear — to rip
  15. hand — in cards
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. hand — help
  19. club — for dancing
  20. tear — from crying
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. scale — in music
  24. hand — part of the body

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