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: pitcher · trunk · file · ruler · tear · board · rash · snap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — from crying
  4. file — a document
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. board — to get on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. snap — to click
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. rash — hasty
  24. board — a committee

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