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: chair · last · wound · key · ruler · roll · toast · straw

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. chair — a leader
  3. last — final
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — the most important part
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. roll — a list
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. key — in music
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. last — finally
  20. toast — bread
  21. roll — a cake
  22. last — to go on
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. wound — an injury

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