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: rest · bark · press · pitcher · court · shower · land · ruler

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. press — newspapers
  8. court — of a king
  9. shower — rain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — to shout
  12. land — a country
  13. court — for sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. land — ground
  16. press — to push
  17. land — to come down
  18. shower — to wash
  19. court — of law
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rest — a break
  23. press — a publisher
  24. pitcher — a jug

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