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: fan · shower · stand · ruler · straw · bass · stem · court

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. court — of law
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. shower — rain
  7. court — for sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stem — to come from
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. court — of a king
  24. bass — low music

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