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 · chest · net · swing · current · drill · pass · game

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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. current — of water
  4. game — wild animals
  5. drill — army training
  6. current — electric
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chest — a box
  10. drill — the tool
  11. game — a match
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. net — after costs
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. drill — a practice
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. current — happening now
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play on

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