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: cabinet · ruler · file · band · race · saw · hand · rock

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. file — a document
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. race — the arms race
  13. band — a music group
  14. race — humankind
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. race — a contest
  17. file — a tool
  18. hand — in cards
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. rock — a stone
  21. band — a ring
  22. saw — the tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. hand — help

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