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: ruler · pitcher · file · face · cabinet · content · chair · drill

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. content — happy
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. file — a document
  10. drill — army training
  11. face — part of the head
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. face — to point toward
  14. content — the amount
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — to confront
  17. file — a tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chair — a leader
  24. cabinet — ministers

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