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 · fall · tear · snap · mark · rest · field · lash

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fall — the season
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tear — to rip
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fall — to drop
  9. field — farmland
  10. mark — a grade
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mark — a trace
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. tear — from crying
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to click
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. field — a subject
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. field — for sport
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mark — to pay attention

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