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: field · file · hand · lean · wax · roll · ruler · land

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. field — farmland
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. field — for sport
  10. wax — to grow
  11. roll — a list
  12. hand — in cards
  13. field — a subject
  14. lean — to bend
  15. file — a line of people
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lean — thin
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. hand — help
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wax — in the ear

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