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 120 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: swing · race · cap · ruler · face · tube · chest · lean

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chest — of your body
  4. face — part of the head
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. race — a contest
  8. face — to confront
  9. cap — a hat
  10. swing — music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. face — to point toward
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. swing — to play on
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. lean — to bend
  18. swing — in golf
  19. race — humankind
  20. tube — a container
  21. lean — thin
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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