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 · rush · fine · row · pit · cold · mine · mouse

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pit — a hole
  5. row — to paddle
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cold — an illness
  8. row — a line
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. fine — all right
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cold — the Cold War

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