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 116 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 · cap · fork · squash · straw · bear · capital · game

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. capital — money
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. squash — the sport
  8. cap — of ice
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fork — in a road
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. game — wild animals
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bear — the animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cap — a lid
  21. squash — to crush
  22. game — a match
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bear — the animal

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