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: suit · saw · chest · court · ruler · bat · ground · drill

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. drill — army training
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ground — crushed
  7. drill — the tool
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. court — of a king
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. court — of law
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chest — of your body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. court — for sport
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chest — a box
  20. drill — a practice
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — clothes
  24. chest — of your body

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