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: stock · ruler · net · hand · coach · saw · drill · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. net — after costs
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. net — for catching
  7. stock — shares
  8. hand — in cards
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. drill — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. last — finally
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. drill — army training
  20. last — final
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stock — goods
  23. saw — the tool
  24. net — in sport

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