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: net · ruler · rash · bound · prune · cold · bank · face

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bound — certain
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bank — for money
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bank — for money
  10. rash — a series
  11. net — for catching
  12. prune — to trim
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. face — to confront
  15. bound — obliged
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bank — of a river
  18. net — in sport
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bound — tied together
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ruler — a monarch

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