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: object · swing · ruler · present · land · wake · mouse · cabinet

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. swing — music
  3. object — a thing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. present — the time now
  6. land — to come down
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. land — a country
  10. present — there
  11. swing — to play on
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. object — an aim
  14. present — a gift
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wake — a trail
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. land — ground
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. swing — in golf

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