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: stock · rush · ruler · craft · last · present · wind · capital

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — moving air
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wind — moving air
  7. present — there
  8. craft — boats
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stock — goods
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — final
  18. present — a gift
  19. capital — a city
  20. rush — hurry
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. present — the time now
  24. wind — to turn a key

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