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: rest · squash · game · suit · bat · last · mine · ruler

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. squash — to crush
  8. game — a match
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. game — wild animals
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. suit — clothes
  18. last — finally
  19. squash — the sport
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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