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: ruler · dip · face · bank · snap · mug · court · cold

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. bank — for money
  5. mug — a face
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bank — of a river
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. mug — to rob
  12. face — to point toward
  13. cold — an illness
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mug — a cup
  16. snap — to click
  17. court — of a king
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. face — to confront
  24. bank — for money

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