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: firm · charge · net · cabinet · bear · ruler · stick · cell

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cell — a phone
  3. net — after costs
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. firm — steady
  6. net — in sport
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. charge — electricity
  11. firm — decided
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. charge — a price
  14. cell — in biology
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. net — for catching
  20. firm — a company
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. charge — in control

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