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: dip · straw · squash · chest · mug · ruler · land · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mug — to rob
  6. land — to come down
  7. chest — of your body
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. land — a country
  10. mug — a face
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. board — to get on
  21. land — ground
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mug — a cup
  24. board — a committee

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