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: content · roll · spring · wind · ruler · ground · stem · plane

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. roll — a cake
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. spring — the season
  10. stem — to come from
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. spring — a coil
  16. content — happy
  17. ground — the earth
  18. spring — of water
  19. plane — a tool
  20. content — the amount
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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