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: land · arm · ruler · rock · row · pass · court · tube

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. land — to come down
  3. row — a line
  4. land — a country
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rock — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. court — of a king
  13. tube — the underground
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. tube — a container
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rock — a stone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. land — ground
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. ruler — for measuring

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