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: fine · chair · can · ruler · date · cell · land · mouse

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. fine — all right
  4. cell — in biology
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. can — to be able to
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cell — a phone
  9. land — ground
  10. date — the fruit
  11. can — a tin
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fine — high quality
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — to come down
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — a country
  24. mouse — the animal

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