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 · ruler · straw · perch · rash · chip · leaves · can

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. can — to be able to
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rash — hasty
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. field — a subject
  18. can — a tin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rash — a series
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. leaves — of a tree

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