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: rule · row · ruler · coach · race · fork · bass · arm

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — a contest
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fork — in a road
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bass — the fish
  19. race — humankind
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rule — government
  22. row — a line
  23. rule — a law
  24. rule — to rule out

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