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: bound · nail · spell · ruler · net · cold · pass · stem

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bound — certain
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. cold — not warm
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. net — for catching
  18. spell — a short time
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. net — in sport
  21. stem — to come from
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cold — an illness
  24. stem — a stem cell

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