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: ground · rash · march · pitcher · saw · chair · current · ruler

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. rash — a series
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. current — electric
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ground — the earth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — happening now
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ground — a position
  13. march — the month
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. march — music
  16. current — of water
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. march — the month
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rash — hasty
  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