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: net · hide · rest · ground · ruler · field · chair · cap

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. field — for sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. ground — the earth
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. field — farmland
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. net — in sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rest — a break
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — a position
  19. net — for catching
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chair — a leader
  22. cap — a hat
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cap — a lid

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