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 120 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 · last · band · stand · current · straw · land · lean

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. last — finally
  4. last — to go on
  5. current — of water
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. band — a ring
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stand — to bear
  15. current — electric
  16. land — a country
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. lean — thin
  19. band — a music group
  20. land — to come down
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. current — happening now
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. last — final

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