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 · pitcher · prune · tube · lie · face · tear · cue

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. face — part of the head
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cue — for pool
  9. tube — a container
  10. lie — to recline
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. tear — from crying
  15. prune — to trim
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cue — a hint
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. tear — to rip
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. face — to confront

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