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: ruler · staff · tear · prune · cell · temple · row · saw

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cell — in biology
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tear — from crying
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cell — a phone
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. tear — from crying
  16. staff — employees
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. staff — employees
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. row — a line
  23. tear — to rip
  24. row — to paddle

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