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: straw · ground · object · mine · drill · ruler · stand · march

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. object — an aim
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. object — to protest
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — the earth
  11. march — the month
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stand — to bear
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stand — on your feet

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