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: chair · ruler · ground · row · safe · race · tear · mine

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. chair — a leader
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. row — a line
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ground — the earth
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. race — a contest
  24. safe — out of danger

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