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: ruler · coach · bound · mouse · stem · tear · rash · scale

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. tear — to rip
  6. scale — in music
  7. rash — a series
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bound — certain
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. rash — hasty
  24. stem — to come from

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