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 · saw · leaves · field · game · squash · mark · chest

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chest — of your body
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. field — farmland
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. squash — the sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. field — a subject
  14. game — a match
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. mark — a trace
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. squash — to crush
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. field — for sport

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