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 120 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 · present · hand · race · straw · march · cabinet · lie

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — humankind
  6. march — the month
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lie — to recline
  10. present — the time now
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — there
  15. hand — help
  16. march — the month
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. race — a contest
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. march — music
  24. straw — a straw man

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