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: mug · squash · board · ruler · tear · clip · wake · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. board — a committee
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. mug — a cup
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. tear — from crying
  11. squash — to crush
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. board — to get on
  15. wake — a trail
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mug — to rob
  18. clip — a video
  19. mug — a face
  20. tear — to rip
  21. clip — to cut
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. squash — the sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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